Reflective Essay: Improving Communication Skills in Patient Care

This reflective essay explores the critical role of communication skills in nursing practice, particularly for newly qualified nurses. The essay utilizes the Gibbs reflective cycle to analyze a personal experience where a lack of effective communication led to a potential patient safety issue. The author reflects on the importance of patient history, the impact of communication gaps, and the need for clear, concise communication in healthcare settings. The essay evaluates the author's feelings, the learning derived from problem-based learning, and the NMC code of conduct. It also includes an action plan focused on improving non-verbal communication and maintaining eye contact. The essay emphasizes that effective communication skills are essential for teamwork, patient care, and the overall success of a nurse's career.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
GIBBS REFLECTIVE CYCLE.......................................................................................................3
Description..................................................................................................................................3
Feelings.......................................................................................................................................3
Evaluation...................................................................................................................................4
Analysis part A............................................................................................................................4
Analysis part B............................................................................................................................4
Analysis part C............................................................................................................................4
Analysis part D............................................................................................................................5
Analysis part E............................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
Action plan..................................................................................................................................5
SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The reflective model is a type of model which is helpful for the person in outlining all the
learning of the person which they have gained in any event or activity (Jefferson and Anderson,
2017). The problem based learning is a very helpful activity because this problem helps the
persons in learning by experiencing. Thus, these skill learnt are not forgettable and are
remembered for a longer time frame. The current reflection is on the importance of
communication skill in patient care. The communication skill is very important for a newly
qualified nurse because of the fact that if they will not have proper and effective skills then this
will be helpful in caring for the patients.
GIBBS REFLECTIVE CYCLE
This is a model for the reflective writing which is very helpful for the person in managing
their learning and listing out all the skills and other learning which they have learnt during the
problem based learning (Kharrufa and et.al., 2017). This model is selected for reflecting because
it helps the learner in first describing the situation and after that what they felt during the
situation. Further the evaluation and analysis of the situation is done. In the end the conclusion
are drawn and the action plan is created which will assist the person in developing those areas in
which they need to make improvements.
Description
The patient history is the most important thing to be considered at time of treatment being
given to the patient. But when i started as a nurse i did not know much about this fact and i also
didn’t asked anybody else. Hence, this created a problem when i gave some other medicine to the
patient and that was not allowed to be given to the patient according to their medical records.
Hence, this was a communication gap from my side and this risked the life of the patient
(Calkins, Grannan and Siefken, 2020). Here, the problem was that i did not know that first the
whole history of the patient is studied and then after the medicine are provided. Hence, here i
leant that the most important thing in treating the patient is communicating with them. Hence, if i
would have good communication and team working skill then i would have not faced any issue.
Feelings
With this situation i felt that the communication is the only medium through which the
patient can express their feelings and pain in front of the nurse (Beauvais, Özbaş and Wheeler,

2019). Thus, this is very important for the nurse to have effective communication as this will
help the nurse in treating the patient with more care and belongingness. The problem based is
learning was good medium to learn new and different skill because till a person not faces any
problem then they cannot learn any new or different skills in their life (Yang, Nie and Luo,
2017). During this process i learnt that i am good at communicating but when it comes to person
with some other language or culture then i hesitate a little in communicating with them. But this
is not acceptable in the nursing profession so i decided to choose effective communication as
skill to be developed. This added to my skill inventory as this would have helped me in
managing effective team work and this will be very helpful in proper treatment of the patient.
Evaluation
This problem based learning i evaluated that the communication is the only key through
which the person can share their problem, ideas, and information with other people. This is very
necessary for the treatment of the patient as if the patient will not communicate what the problem
is then the nurse will not be able to treat them (Frey, 2018). Also, in the same manner if the nurse
will not communicate properly that how the patient have to take care of them then this will not
be clear to the patient that what precaution they have to keep. Hence, the only key is the
communication and that also with clear understanding and simple language. With this i evaluated
that effective communication increases team work as the people communicating in good manner
likes to work with one another.
Analysis part A
With this problem based learning it is clear that communication is the only medium for
the treatment or working is communication only. Hence, Heisterkamp (2019) states that the
problem based learning method is very good in increasing communication as when nurse will
have any problem then they will communicate with their seniors. But in against of this Lui,
Fields and Kafai (2019) states that major evidence of problem based learning is that this
technique is very helpful in learning new and different advance skill with less time.
Analysis part B
The best practice for the betterment of the communication skill is to listen patiently first
and then try to respond to the thing. This is majorly because of the fact that if some person is
speaking and without completely listening to them the answer is given then this might lead to

miscommunication (Garcia-De-Quiros, Radice and Carrasco, 2020). This is majorly because of
the fact that it might be possible that the message is not complete and also there might be
possibility that the sender is saying in some other meaning and the receiver thinks some other
meaning of the same sentence.
Analysis part C
If the skill of communication is ineffectively used by me than this might be very risky.
This is due to the fact that the lack of clear and understandable communication can lead to loss of
life of the patient as well (Bataineh, Al-Bzour and Baniabdelrahman, 2017). For instance, i gave
the medicine to the patient but i didn’t inform the other nurse and they also give the medicine to
the patient then this might lead to risk of life of patient. Also, some case be like the patient told
the nursing staff about their allergy to some specific medicine and this i skipped to communicate
to other nurse treating the patient then this can also risk the life of the patient.
Analysis part D
The NMC code of conduct includes the fact that the most important thing at time of
treating the patient is clarity of all the information among the patient ad nurses in clear manner.
This will be only possible if the communication will be clear and concise among both patient and
nurse (Fryer and Boot, 2017). According to these publications i not have much good
communication skill and need to improve these skills. But this somewhere related to the skill
which i posses as i am not that bad in communication with the patient.
Analysis part E
This communication plays a crucial role within the career of newly qualified nurse
because the nurses first need to understand the working of the hospital and then the condition of
patient as well (Nakazawa, Aikawa and Matsui, 2018). All this will only be possible with help of
the proper and clear communication skill. Thus, the communication plays a crucial role in the
career of nurse and this need to be effectively worked upon by the nurse in understanding the
working environment of the hospital.
Conclusion
In the end it is summarised that the communication is the only key for the working or
execution of any activity. In the field of nursing and related activity the communication plays the
most important and crucial role as no work can be accomplished (Mishra and Trivedi, 2019).

Also, the problem based learning is a good activity to make the learning more strong and
permanent. With this learning experience i learnt that i need to improve my communication skill
for future working.
Action plan
With all the above discussion it is clear that there is still a need for the improvement of
the communication skill so that i can communicate in more effective manner (Laurie and
Beeson, 2016). Thus the major goal for me after all the above learning is to enhance my skill of
communicating with others in next four months. Thus, for this the most important strategy or
action plan is to first learn all the knowledge relating to the non- verbal communication and
communication through body language and facial expression. This is necessary because of the
fact that 70 % of the communication takes place with non- verbal communication that is
expression and body language.
Hence, if i will have proper knowledge of non- verbal communication then this will help
in more clearly communicating with others. Another major important strategy for the
development of the communication skill is to have proper eye contact with the person with
whom i am communicating (Yang, 2019). This is necessary because if will make proper eye
contact then this will reflect that i am confident in speaking the other person and not have any
problem or fear in communicating with other people.
SUMMARY
In the end it is summarised that the communication skill is the most important skill in the
field of nursing and taking care of others. This is majorly because of the fact that if the
communication will be clear among both the parties then this will not create any problem or
confusion. With this reflective model i learnt that i have good communication skill but in
comparison with this highly competitive environment there is need of developing and enhancing
the communication skill. Thus, this communication will be increased within time frame of 4
months and by working on the non- verbal communication and the proper maintenance of eye
contact at time of communication.

REFERENCES
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