Importance of Listening, Questioning and Feedback in Nursing Profession

Running head: MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION AND THOUGHT 1
MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION AND THOUGHT
Name of student
Institution Affiliation
Task 1:

MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION AND THOUGHT 2
MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION AND THOUGHT
Introduction
Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information,
ideas, feelings and meanings using both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques
(Duffy, 2013).Interpersonal communication does not only involve things that are
communicated through voice but also through gestures, facial expressions and body
language. Some of the most critical aspect of interpersonal communication skills include
feedback, listening and question. These skills are particularly very important in the nursing
discipline. This argumentative essay therefore discusses the importance of listening,
questioning and feedback in the nursing profession.
Listening is an essential component of effective communication in nursing and
provision of quality healthcare. The significance of listening in nursing care has been
documented in various nursing literature over the decades. Listening helps a nurse understand
the narrative of the patient before embarking on treatment (O'Haga et al., 2014). When a
nurse actively listens to a patient, they are able to understand their medical history.
Understanding the medical or sickness history of a patient is very key in diagnosis and
treatment of the patient. Without keenly and actively listening to a patient, it is not possible to
understand the medical situation of the person being treated and hence the nurse cannot be
able to give medication. Patients communicate with the both through verbal communication

MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION AND THOUGHT 3
as well as non-verbal communication (Duffy et al,.2013). It is therefore very critical that
nurses observe the body language and the facial expression of their patient as they narrate
their stories related to healthcare.
Once a nurse has carefully listened to the situation of the patient, they get to
understand the type of tests that they can conduct on the patient in order to identify the
disease. The nurse is also able to understand the factors that could be contributing to the
problem that the client is experiencing, Listening is very critical in nursing because when
dealing with patients with mental health issues, it is critical to understand the history of the
patient. The history can be narrated by either the patient themselves or a person who
understands the patient properly. The narration by the patient helps the nurse to come up with
a treatment plan that will help the patient. Additionally, listening in nursing is critical in
understanding the progress of the patient. Without hearing from the patient how they are
feeling, it is impossible for the doctor or nurse to understand whether the treatment offered to
the patient is effective. If the nurse discovers that the patient is not responding well to
treatment, they can undertake a different mode of treatment to help the patient. Furthermore
listening is critical in the learning process as nurses undertake their day to day duties in the
hospital.
Feedback is a very vital tool for healthcare workers to gather information as well as
systematically analyze the areas of weakness or strength for future action. Feedback as a
communication tool is significant for doctors and nurses since it helps them to analyze and
understand the progress of their patients (Plakht et al.,2013). For example, a patient who has
been admitted to the hospital receiving treatment for malaria should give feedback to the
doctor or nurse taking care of them so that they can understand whether the patient is getting
well or not. Feedback can therefore back up the doctors assessment and aid them in decision
making regarding the patient. When a nurse or doctor gets feedback, they are able to bridge