Strategies for Communication in Health and Social Care Orgs

This report provides an overview of communication strategies within health and social care organizations. It emphasizes the importance of training employees to understand patient needs, validate their feelings, and maintain two-way communication. Various communication theories, including humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, psychoanalytical, and social theories, are discussed in the context of healthcare. The report highlights the use of appropriate language for both service users and professionals, addressing communication barriers such as linguistic, emotional, physical, and attitudinal challenges, and suggests strategies to overcome them, including active listening and simple language. It also covers dealing with interpersonal and inappropriate communication, emphasizing negotiation, problem-solving skills, and maintaining confidentiality. The report concludes with three strategies for supporting individuals with specific communication needs, such as visual, hearing, and intellectual disabilities, and a list of references.

Communication in a
health and social care
organizations

Training on communication
with health and social science
• The employees should be extensively trained to understand the needs
of the patient.
• Validate patients thoughts and feelings.
• The staffs should maintain a two way communication, one with the
patient as well as the managers.
• Patient satisfaction surveys can be conducted.
• Regular meetings should be held with the clients.

Theories
• The humanistic theory of communication perceives communication as an
undivided entity (Schiavo, 2013).
• It is achieved when a person approaches an individual in a positive manner.
The health care staffs should communicate with the patient in a polite manner
providing a conducing environment.
• The behavioral theory can be referred to as how people sort out different
means in order to deal with people. This can be accomplished by thinking, feeling
and acting (Schiavo, 2013).
Simple sign languages can be used .
The health care staffs should approach the patient even if she does not call them.

Theories
• Cognitive theories- It is the acquisition of individuals knowledge by observing others.
• The health care staffs can identify the needs of the patient by observing the facial expressions.
• Psychoanalytical theory – It is the communication method that is done by the analysis of the
person’s mental state and perceptions (Schiavo, 2013).
• Social theory- This can be referred to as the way people socialize with others in any kind of
environment.
In case of this patient a humanistic and a psychological method can be used for understanding
the interpersonal skills.

Effective Communication
Language appropriate for the service users :-
• The client can make use of the bells present in the room of
the patient to call the doctors or the health assistant
(Pacala and Yueh, 2012).
• The client can interact with the staffs by means of hand
gestures of writing (Pacala and Yueh, 2012).

Effective Communication
• Language appropriate for the professionals :-
Combination of these services can be used while dealing with the
hearing impaired patient (Pacala and Yueh, 2012):
• Lip reading
• Writing
• Visual aids
• Use of simple written signs
• Use of bells.

Barriers to communication
• Linguistic barrier
• Emotional/ psychological barriers
• Physical barriers and physical disabilities
• Attitudinal barriers
Steps to overcome the barriers-
Active listening
Use of simple languages
Providing constructive feedback for enhancing future communication.

Dealing with interpersonal and
inappropriate communication
• Ineffective interpersonal communication can be caused by familial or cultural
taboos, poor conflict management skills in the nursing staffs, absence of empathy
and emotional issues that has been unresolved (Arnold and Boggs 2015).
• Strategies-
• Negotiating and problem solving skills
• Acknowledging the other person’s feelings.
• Learning collaborative skills with the patient.
• Learning to disagree respectfully
• To remain content and professional

Confidentiality
• Implementation of the IT security policies.
• Avoidance of communicating with the patient in presence
of the other to prevent breaching of the confidentiality.
• Preservation of the documents by maintaining the file in
safety cabinets.
• Debar from sharing the patient information with anyone.

3 strategies for supporting individuals
with specific communication needs
• Visual impairment- Glasses, responding continuously or a
continuous verbal engagement in case of blindness, use of
Braille Bach and Grant 2015).
• Hearing impairment- Hearing aids , lip reading , use of
visual aids and signs.
• Intellectual disability- clear and succinct words, use of no
medical jargon, use of no metaphorical phrases.
• Use of no medical jargon.

Questions
• Do you have any questions regarding the communication
strategies or the communication theories in nursing?

References
• Arnold, E.C. and Boggs, K.U., 2015. Interpersonal Relationships-E-
Book: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
• Bach, S. and Grant, A., 2015. Communication and interpersonal
skills in nursing. Learning Matters.
• Pacala, J.T. and Yueh, B., 2012. Hearing deficits in the older
patient:“I didn't notice anything”. jama, 307(11), pp.1185-1194.
• Schiavo, R., 2013. Health communication: From theory to practice.
John Wiley & Sons.