Reflection on My Communication Abilities

This reflection discusses the importance of effective communication in the nursing profession and explores the author's strengths and weaknesses in verbal and non-verbal communication. It also addresses the six Cs of effective communication and barriers to communication in healthcare. The author reflects on their communication skills and identifies areas for improvement.

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REFLECTION ON MY COMMUNICATION ABILITIES
Course
Professor’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 2
Communication forms an important component in the nursing profession. Nursing
profession entails interaction with patients, co-workers, top leaders within the organization, and
other members of community. Nurses working in practical sessions spend time communication
verbally and non-verbally. In today’s multicultural society, the role of communication has shifted
from exchange and sharing of information to building and nurturing relationships. Throughout
my studies, I have interacted with colleagues and other people who I think have played a
significant role in shaping and nurturing my communication abilities. While I can say that I have
developed both verbal and non-verbal communication competencies suitable to this career, I
think that a reflection on my communication abilities and skills can help me identify some of my
strengths and weaknesses and help me develop a plan on how I can improve on my weak areas.
Communication skills are a continuous process and I believe that I still have opportunity to excel
and improve in areas that I have not performed well in the past.
Key Terms
Verbal Communication
This communication occurs mainly through the word of mouth. Gault et al. (2016) define verbal
communication as spoken communication. I chose to reflect on my verbal communication skills
because my nursing practice will mainly involve use of words to communicate and exchange
information with co-workers and patients.
Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication does not involve sound. The speaker can use signs, written texts, or
symbols to communicate. Facial expressions that involve emotions also fall into this category
(Bora & Kate, 2018). I chose to reflect on my non-verbal communication skills because I want to
identify the areas of weakness and determine how I can improve.

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 3
Active listening
Pay attention by eliminating all distractions from mind and thoughts so that one understands
what is being said.
Paralinguistics
Tone, speed, and volume of speech. Doyle (2019) explains that paralinguistics which
accompany speech often carry meaning. I want to understand how these affect and shape my
relationships with others.
Body language
It includes body posture when speaking or listening to what is being said. Body language can tell
the listener whether you are interested in the conversation or not.
Empathy and compassion
Communication in nursing requires expression of concern and care both for the patient and the
families. Professional communication entails concern and care for the patient.
Channels of communication
Communication does not occur in a vacuum. A channel is a medium in which information takes
place. It can be a radio network or a telephone network (Bora & Kate, 2018).
Interpersonal communication
It is an exchange of information between two people. In this digital era, interpersonal
communication often occurs over mobile devices (Shafakhah, Zarshenas, Sharif, & Sabet
Sarvestani, 2015). In nursing, interpersonal communication takes place when the caregiver is
communicating with the patients or the family of the patient
Team communication

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 4
Nursing profession entails working as a team. Each nurse requires professional skills and
communication skills for collaboration and team working. Gault et al. (2016) defines team
communication as the type of communication that occurs in a group setting. Since my profession
requires team work for improved service delivery.
Reflection on my Communication and Professional Skills
Communication entails passing information from one person to another, but it cannot be
complete without feedback. I think that I have excelled in this area, especially when
communicating with colleagues and friends. I engage in two types of communication. I use
verbal communication when I am talking to colleagues or friends, even though there are
moments when I use non-verbal cues such as nodding and using facial expression to indicate
agreement with the speaker. Ghiyasvandian, Zakerimoghadam, and Peyravi (2014) explain that
good communicators are also good listeners. However, in this era of technology, there are many
distractions that interfere with good communication. I think that my phone is the first distractor
whenever I am engaging in active communication. Active communication requires that one
closes all distractions and focuses on what the speaker is saying. I however, find it hard focusing
on what other people are saying when my phone is on. I think that I have a lot of work to do in
addressing my limitations in this area.
Communication can be verbal or non-verbal. When I am using verbal communication, I
make sure that my listeners are getting each of the point I am passing across. Tara and O’Hara
(2015) explain that the basic purpose of communication is to motivate and influence others. In
the nursing profession, one will be required to communicate with the top managers and fellow
nurses. Communicating with patients and clients to influence their decisions and perceptions
towards nursing care and practices is also an essential component of communication. While I

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 5
believe that I have developed and nurtured my verbal skills, I think that I will have to address
some limitations from my listening skills. Sometimes I distract people when they are speaking by
asking questions. One day I raised my hand to pose a question to a public quest in a function I
had attended. He paused what he was saying and when I thought that he was going to respond to
what I had asked, he calmly said “We have ten minutes session for questions at the end of this
presentation. Please preserve your question.” It was embarrassing but I learned a lesson.
Gervitis and Eberhard (2016) explain that communication can occur in a group setting or
teams. While it is true that I have made a few public presentations in my academic life, I think
that I can perform better when I address some of my limitations in team communication. Weyers,
Jemi, Karger, Raski, Rotthoff, Pentzek, and Mortsiefer (2016) explain that communication
requires full understanding of behaviors associated with the speaker. When a person is
communication, one is sending the meaning conveyed through emotions and language.
Successful communication often entails involving the audience in what is being conveyed.
Throughout my experience, I have learned to address people by engaging them in my discussion.
Anybody listening to me will always hear me ask “Are we together?” I use this skill to make sure
that I do not lose their attention.
The Six Cs of Effective Communication
The communication skills of physicians are the first step in establishing a lasting
relationship with patients in the health sector. All inteeractions between the physician and the
patient are centered on effective communication. While the process of caring for and curing
patients revolves around holistic approach in healthcare delivery, communication skills
contribute to patients’ compliance and response to treatment. When the physician is
communicating with the patient, both verbal and non-verbal components of communication have

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 6
a significant impact on the level of satisfaction transferred to the patient. Verbal communication
entails choice of words. Since each communication is often accompanied by non-verbal and
paralinguistic components, Gault et al. (2016) explain that non-verbal and paraverbal
components constitute ninety percent of the message delivered to the recipient. This explains
why one has to adhere to models of communication that characterize effective communication.
One of the six Cs of effective communication is clarity. Shafakhah, Zarshenas, Sharif,
and Sabet Sarvestani (2015) define clarity as simplicity of the message that makes it easier for
the recipient to understand it. I have perfected my skills in this area and I do not think that my
audience struggle getting what I say. When giving instructions, I make sure that I include
examples and explanations with the goal of helping the recipient understand what I am saying.
Message clarity also entails the listening skills of the speaker. According to Bergman, Dellve,
and Skagert, K. (2016), nurses are supposed to make sure that they are clear with instructions
and the communications they pass across to eliminate medication error. One is also supposed to
seek clarity whenever one does not understand the instructions given.
The message is also supposed to be correct and complete. Communication carries a
meaning and it is the responsibility of the speaker to make sure that what is being communicated
is what is delivered to the recipient. This explains the reason for making the message complete
and correct to avoid making the recipient to guess the intended meaning. Whether written or
verbal, the content of the message should guide the recipient in making an informed decision on
what is required (Hussain, 2015). When speaking, one always ha to understand that the purpose
of communication is to inform. Incomplete messages create confusion from the recipient’s side
and are likely to magnify the chances of making mistakes.

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Apart from being complete, the message has to be concise. Nessley and Brownie (2015)
explain that people are often impatient and they do not have time to listen to large volumes of
information or reading volumes of messages. One has to strive to make the message brief but
complete in meaning to make the recipient make an informed decision. Courteousness is the
politeness of the message. Even when one holds an authoritative position, there is a need to
maintain a high level of courteousness to deliver a positive impact to the audience. The reason
for courteousness is to win the support of the audience in the conversation and help understand
the possible intervention. Courteousness also wins and helps solve conflicts between the parties
in conflict.
Barriers to Effective Communication
In spite of the efforts to establish effective communication, there are barriers that limit
the effectiveness of information exchange. Some of these barriers are social constructions while
others occur automatically due to natural environments. Language barrier is one of the barriers to
effective communication. Doctors deal with patients from multicultural backgrounds and they
have to talk with the patient for effective diagnosis of the issue affecting the patient (Harris,
2018). Absence of common language negates the efforts of establishing effective communication
and positive relationships between the speaker and the recipient of information.
Cultural barriers such as differences in age and cultural beliefs have a direct impact in
effective communication. Aging patients may not wish to share some information that could help
the doctor diagnose the problem and prescribe possible treatment intervention. Lack of trust and
fear of disclosing sensitive information is a direct cause of misunderstandings that can cause
misdiagnosis and affect quality of service delivery. I once encountered a patient who could not
communicate in English. It was difficult to assess the problem until one had to call a nurse who

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 8
understood the patient’s language. There is also a challenge of addressing the intimate aspects of
young patients who often find it difficult to open up their lives (Norouzinia, Aghabarari, Shiri,
Karimi, Samami, 2015). Such issues make it difficult for caregivers to communicate effectively.
For many patients, nurses act as a point of contact between doctors and patients. The
nurse has a responsibility of understanding the doctor’s instructions and transferring the
information to the patient. This explains why nurses should be capable of overcoming all barriers
to communication that are likely to undermine information exchange (Ranjan, Kumari, &
Chakrawarty, 2015).. There are also cases when physical and emotional pain interferes with the
communication exchange between the nurse and the patient and the health caregiver. When the
patient becomes emotional or when the family of the patient becomes emotional when talking
with the caregiver, it becomes difficult for effective communication to take place. Presence of
critically ill patients in ICUs as well as the mood in the environment makes it impossible for
nurses to establish viable therapeutic relationships with their patients (Vermeir et al., 2015)). The
nurse has to develop sufficient strategies to overcome these barriers if one wants to have a
positive impact on the patient.
There are also some disorders such as dementia that confuse the patient, hence interfering
with communication. In such cases, the nurse should be aware of the symbols and signs that
could help the patient or the family of the patient understand the problem. According to Biglu,
Nateq, Ghojazadeh, and Asgharzadeh (2017), the nurse could consider seeking the help of a
relative of the patient with the goal of helping to understand the issue affecting the patient. The
nurse should also listen carefully and attentively to get what the patient is trying to say (O’Hagan
et al., 2014). In case where the nurse is dealing with a violent client, it is recommended that the
healthcare provider spends enough time calming the patient or allowing the patient enough rest

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 9
before engaging him in conversations (Brindley, Smith, Cardinal, & LeBlanc, 2014)). When
working in a team or group, it is important that the caregiver understands how to talk to
colleagues and other people that are likely to benefit from communication. One has to strike a
balance between team and interpersonal communications.
In this reflection, I have understood the need to apply the six Cs of communication. I
have understood that as a nurse, it is important to develop effective therapeutic communication
skills for initiating and maintaining relationships with patients and co-workers. I have also
understood that in spite of efforts to establish good therapeutic communication, there are barriers
that hinder communication. The barriers can emanate from the nurse’s perspective or from the
doctor’s point of view. In either case, it is my responsible as a nurse to make sure that I
contribute to the welfare of the patient by understanding possible intervention strategies to help
the patient.

Reflection on My Communication Abilities 10
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