Reflective Essay: Developing Communication Skills in Nursing

This reflective essay analyzes the development of interpersonal communication skills within a nursing organization. The essay explores the author's journey in improving verbal and non-verbal communication, emphasizing the importance of effective communication in patient care and workplace interactions. It details specific workplace scenarios, such as denying a patient's unethical request and presenting views in group settings, highlighting the application of communication skills. The author reflects on the significance of active listening, understanding patient needs, and adapting communication styles. The essay also covers the importance of observation skills, the use of clear language, and the value of audience feedback in refining communication techniques. The conclusion reinforces the critical role of interpersonal communication in nursing and the strategies employed to enhance these skills, referencing relevant literature on the subject.

Communication Journal
Reflective Essay

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ESSAY.............................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
The report is about interpersonal communication skills development while working in the
nursing organization. The report has been a focus on the different interpersonal communication
skills and how these skills assist in the nursing organization. The aim and objective of this report
are to understand and learn different communication skills with focus on diverse kinds of
communication such as verbal and non-verbal communication abilities that are needed in the
nursing organization.
ESSAY
When I was starting my career with the nursing organization, I was not able to
communicate in an effective manner with the member of an organization and the patient I was
dealing with. This has become a big barrier in my professional life. While working at workplace,
I have evaluated that I need to improve my interpersonal communication skills. I was perfectly
dedicated to improving my verbal and non-verbal communication skills which involve proper
listening, understanding and communicating.
From workplace situation, I have learned the significance of the communication skills in
the nursing organization. I have learned about diversity of communication skills from a situation
where I need to say no to the patient for his help. It has made me more confident and fearless
while communicating with others. Second situation at workplace place was presenting my views
on the different problems like identification of patient need etc.
When I was in the nursing organization, one of the patients asked me to give personal
information about any other patient. As per norms this activity is against to the organization's
policy as well as it is considered as unethical to conduct. So at that time, being a responsible
nurse, I have denied his request. I politely said to him, "sorry sir I cannot give you this
information as this act is against our policy". It has made me learned to communicate in a polite
manner when people are asking me for the unethical conduct. With that, I have learned that how
I can deal patients and their family members in a polite manner. It has developed skills in regard
to pitch which can be used during verbal communication when you have to deal with different
persons. I have also learned the knowledge in respect to the selection of words through which I
can have effective communication in different situations. At the workplace, I have tried to
enhance my interpersonal communication skills from which has also helped in evaluating my
own strength and weaknesses. Nursing activities have provided me information regarding
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different workplace situations. It has also developed my strength to analyse different thoughts
that can assist in gaining skills so I can ask things or quires to another person in proper manner. I
have acknowledged that it is very important in interpersonal communication to know the other
person, what are his or her likes and dislikes, what are their hobbies, what they like to eat etc. In
the nursing organization, as a nurse I need to know about the person need so that better treatment
can be offered. Details table includes the patient eating habits, any other disease he has etc. It
has allowed me to understand the significance of observation skills. It has allowed me to
understand the treatment need through analysing diverse values associated with incident. I have
focused on asking questions also to understand needs. I was confident enough to take
information about the patient.
During working in the healthcare organization, top-level management has given me the
opportunity to participate in the group activities where they need to solve different issues faced
by the nursing organization. I have accepted this opportunity and tried to communicate in a
confident manner. I need to consider different elements while giving the speech in the group. In
that, I have used simple and easy language by which I can make understand what I am trying to
express. I have also framed different ideas and strategies in order to make my speech effective. It
has made me understand that ideas put some evidence to the development which helps me to
support further activities. Also, I became acknowledged that I must frame my presentation in a
proper manner which helps me to make understand the audience that what my presentation about
and what is the conclusion of the presentation. It made me understand that in future, I must give
a brief introduction to the topic and then I must tell the significance of issues faced by the
healthcare organization and how that issues can be solved in order to enhance services to the
patient. I have analysed that I can use different figures and pictures while explaining the issues
so that audience can easily understand.
During the presentation have also tried to explain audience about not to consume those
things which are not allowed by the doctors. However, my interaction in regard to such value
was not proper due to lack of information about the negative impact of such activities. I have
witnessed that I need to improve my communication skills so that I can make an audience
understand what is good and bad for their disease.
Afterwards, the group discussion has also made me understand that the audience
feedback is also beneficial for analysing the weaknesses with respect to interpersonal skills.
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Also, it has made me understand that long time duration in presentation can affect the interest of
listening. It means it is necessary for me in future to ensure that specific and relevant information
is only being presented so that I can attract audience effectively through using communication
skills. It has also given me an information that through having effective participation in the
medical campaign, training programmes, etc the skills can be advanced. It will assist me to gain
communication skills advancement as well as knowledge about health care services. By having
self-learning technique I can also focus on skills' development so that I can demonstrate the
aspects in the desired manner.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the overall analysis that interpersonal communication plays very
significant role in the nursing organization. It has been proved from the project report that
interpersonal communication has great impact on the members of a nursing organization as well
as a patient. Two situations have been taken in order to complete the assignment, with that
various methods and strategies have been used in order to develop communication skills with the
help of these situations.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Deane, W. H. and Fain, J. A., 2016. Incorporating Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations to
Promote Holistic Communication Between Older Adults and Nursing Students. Journal of
Holistic Nursing. 34(1). pp.35-41.
Lai, C. Y., 2016. Training nursing students' communication skills with online video peer
assessment. Computers & Education. 97. pp.21-30.
McCarthy, B., 2017. Communication and Interpersonal Competencies for Undergraduate
Nursing Students. Millenium-Journal of Education, Technologies, and Health. 2(3). pp.25-
28.
Varcarolis, E. M., 2016. Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing-E-Book: A
Communication Approach to Evidence-Based Care. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Weber, K. and Farrell, T., 2016. Developing Therapeutic Communication Skills: Integration of
Standardized Client Simulation in an Associate Degree Nursing Program.
Williams, K. N. and Bower, H., 2016. Meeting communication needs: topics of talk in the
nursing home. Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services. 43(7). pp.38-
45.
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