Importance of Effective Communication and Health Literacy in Healthcare Environment

Running Head: NURSING, CULTURAL SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE
Nursing, Cultural safety in healthcare
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1NURSING, CULTURAL SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE
Introduction
There exists a strong positive relationship between the communication skills of the
healthcare providers and the capacity of the patient to follow through the medical
recommendation, adopt preventive healthcare behavior and manage chronic healthcare condition
all by themselves. The perception of the healthcare users of the quality of the service provided by
a healthcare home is highly dependent on the quality of interaction between them and the
healthcare service provider. According to the researchers, the clinical ability to listen, explain as
well as emphasize has the potential to impose a profound effect on functional as well as
biological health outcomes along with satisfaction of the patient and experience of care
(Heijmans et al. 2015). The rationale of the report is to provide effective knowledge and
information about the importance of effective communication and health literacy in the
healthcare environment. Apart from that the purpose of the report also includes analysis and
evolution of strategies to enforce effective communication ad healthcare literacy within the
workplace.
Importance of effective communication in healthcare environment
Communication in healthcare setting is considered to be one of the the mot crucial tools
the healthcare service providers posses to provide effective care to the patients and this enhance
their satisfaction.
1. Effective communication helps the healthcare service users to feel comfortable
Considering the fact majority of the healthcare service users are highly anxious
and tensed about their health, tests and treatments provided to them, several time they
demonstrate aggressiveness and rude behavior. Possessing good communication with the

2NURSING, CULTURAL SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE
healthcare service providers has the potential to reduce the anxiety an d build confidence
within the patient.
2. Effective communication helps he healthcare service users to feel valued
Considering the fact that majority of the healthcare home in Australia treats
patients from different cultural background, lack of effective communication may make
them feel unwelcomed and this in turn can impose negative impact on their health and
acceptance of treatment. Hence, it is highly crucial for healthcare service users to
demonstrate respect and sympathy for their feelings and culture. This demonstration will
help the healthcare service users to feel valued and thus will enhance their satisfaction
level.
3. Effective communication between the healthcare employees enhance the quality of
healthcare service
Good communication is crucial during discussing the requirements of the patients,
crucial information regarding the history of the patient and the upcoming steps that needs
to be taken to ensure effective treatment. Cultural difference between healthcare
professionals has the potential to get enhanced due to ineffective communication and that
may lead to conflict. This in turn enhances the risk of patient injuries, malpractices and
even death goes up. This type of incidence can only be prevented by ensuring effective
communication among the healthcare service users. In order to ensure effective
communication within the healthcare professionals several technologies has been used by
healthcare organizations. For instance, the exchange of information during the change in
shift is often found to be a lengthy process (Beauchamp et al., 2015). Additionally, the
system associated with the exchange of information between nurses is often not well

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organized. Several time nurses are fund to write notes n the scrubs. As a result of
ineffective communication, crucial details often get left out and treatment or medication
that has been given to the patient once is repeated. This phenomenon often results in
deterioration of the health of the patients. In order to deal with this issue, the management
of several organizations is incorporating software that allows good communication and
information distribution during change of shift.
Strategy to implement effective communication in healthcare environment
Considering the fact that ineffective communication between healthcare professionals
and the service users lead to a negative workplace culture along with inferior quality of service,
the following strategies can eradicate the issue y implementing effective communication within
the organization.
1. Incorporating effective communication in the healthcare organization’s compulsory
training program
According to the researchers, majority of the healthcare homes in Australia
recruits employees from across the world and hence the organizations are cross cultural
(Meuter et al., 2015). Since the cultural origin of the employees varies, cultural conflicts
are frequent which in turn deteriorates the quality of service offered and the job
satisfaction of the employees.
In order to deal with the issue, both newly appointed as well as experienced employees
should be provide with mandatory training sessions where they will be taught about the
importance of effective communication between themselves as well as with the patients.
Along with that, instruction will be provided to them about how to clarify their questions