Effective Communication in Healthcare: Edna's Case Study and Barriers

This report presents a case study of Edna, a 79-year-old woman facing communication barriers due to visual and hearing impairments, compounded by venous leg ulcers and social isolation. The study identifies the impact of these barriers on her interactions with community nurses and her overall well-being. It explores therapeutic communication principles and the use of interactive communication models to overcome these challenges. The report further discusses psychosocial and socio-political influences, including stress, financial issues, depression, and stigma, and their impact on Edna's daily life. Finally, it examines the health and social care provisions available to Edna, emphasizing the need for pharmaceutical care, social support from organizations like the WHO, and effective communication strategies to enhance her independence and social connection. The report underscores the importance of addressing communication barriers to improve patient outcomes in healthcare settings.

Assessment

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Identifybarriers in communication..............................................................................................3
Impact of barriers on communication..........................................................................................4
Therapeutic communication and the principles of effective communication to overcome
barriers.........................................................................................................................................4
Psychosocial and socio political influence on daily lives............................................................5
Health and social care provision..................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The brief study of the report helps to understand about a patient whose name is Edna. She
is 79-year-old who lives in a two bed roomed bungalow on the south coast. Edna is religious type
lady but has faced several difficulties in last 18 months because sheets venous leg ulcers in her
both legs. She has been sociable and independent type lady because still she prepares meals for
herself without taking helps of others but becomes highly dependent on her family and friends
for shopping purpose that shows she often feel loneliness. A month ago, she unable to move
normally due to her left leg ulcer which has inflamed and infected? So, community nurses are
used to visit her for twice weekly so that they can do dressing on her left leg. She has been
socially isolated due because she unable to listen community nurse talks and can’t vision them
properly due to deterioration. She starts to feel socially isolated that causes miss her
independence. Even community nurses resent her to enhance her dependence on her family and
friends. This report helps to understand of therapeutic communication which takes place between
the nurse and the individual patient (Brownie, Scottand Rossiter, 2016).
Identify barriers in communication
On the basis of scenario can understand that Edna is old lady who is used to be
independent but in around 18 months she became dependent on their family and friends for
shopping and other works. It shows has visual problem that is the main reason to dependent on
family. For example, she aged lady so vision deterioration is quite common in this age. That’s
why whenever she goes for shopping and other work then has to dependent on family and
friends. In addition she faces some difficulties while moving here and there because she has got
venous leg ulcer in both sides which make it tends her towards family and friends. When her left
leg ulcer is inflamed and infected in that situation, she unable to go for treatment. Community
nurses are being visited her for twice weekly dressing. That time she felt herself socially isolated
and wants to see community nurses visit because several nurses appears quite communicative
and interested to talk to her but Edna unable to listen them properly. It shows she suffers from
hear deterioration that’s why she can’t her community nurses’ gossips. She always misses her
independence that shows she has stress as well because she wants to independent but to physical
internal and external barriers she become dependent to other. it leads high stress in her mind to
think about family dependence. Due to hear, visual deterioration she used to feel socially isolated

lady and misses her dependence when she used to sociable (Yeh, 2017).There are barriers which
are faced by the Edna and leads high dependence on her friends and family.
Impact of barriers on communication
Due to visual deterioration, Edna unable to communicate with community nurse
because when she can’t see them then how can they understand about her condition. Whenever
she wants to go for shopping, she has to dependent on the friends and family which causes
communication barriers occurs between community nurses and her. Due to visual impairment
communication become ineffective that causes she feel socially isolated. Another is hear
deterioration which is also another reason of miscommunication. The reason behind is that she
looks for community nurses because most of the community nurses who appears to
communicative and shows their interest whenever she shares something to them. But whenever
nurses feel something to her but she unable to listen them that makes it more socially isolated.
Whenever she resents to home by community nurses that time, she misses her independence like
how she used to be work along without dependence. She never wants to dependent on her family
and friends but her physical barriers enhance her dependences on her family and friends
(Igbinlade and et.al., 2020). Both type barriers visual and hear deterioration enhance her stress
because she unable to communicate with nurses and their family independently. Stress also other
barrier which is identified while analysing scenario. There found out due to her weakness she
makes her feel isolated socially which leads stress in her mind. Due to stress she unable to
communicate with nurses effectively. Overall barriers i.e. visual and hearing impairment and
stress are the reason which reduces communication ability of patient with the nurse.
Therapeutic communication and the principles of effective communication to overcome barriers
Therapeutic communication refers as a face to face procedure of communication which access on
progressingthe physical and emotional wellbeing of the patient. Specially nurses applies
therapeutic communication techniques to give supports and informative information to patient
about their health. There are seven principles of effective communication such as competences,
correctness, credibility, conciseness, concreteness, clarity and courtesy. These Are the major
principles which is used by nurses to treat their patients and gives information about their health
as per patent situation. These princi0ple not only supports nurse to provide information to patient
but also leads effective communication between patient and nurses. To overcome identified

barriers which causes ability of communication become worst has a communication model.
Nurses applies interactive communication model to address issue of the patient. According to the
model communication is the procedure in which participant or nurses changes their position as
sender and receiver and raises solution by sending message and receiving feedbacks. It is two
way communication model where feedback encompasses message which is sent to get response
of other message. As same, nurses can apply this interactive model which helps them to address
problem by sending message means directly communicate with Edna about her issue like she has
vision impairment so she unable to see them. Second wherever communicative nurses
communicate with her they directly take feedbacks from Edna about their services which help to
understand that she can’t listen properly to them due to hearing impairment. Thus, community
nurses can address her barriers and keep clarity in their tones while providing information that
makes her eligible to listen communicate effectively (Rønning and Bjørkly, 2019). This model is
not supporting community nurse to redeem communication skill with patient but also leads
effectiveness in Edna health. She used to feel herself socially isolated. Community nurses can
make her comfortable while commuting effectively that makes her independent rather to think
dependence.
Psychosocial and socio political influence on daily lives
Alice was going through many issues due to illness. Mental health is considered as
important aspects of the human being. Alice was suffering from many issues related to
psychosocial and socio political issues which hs created the following impact on the daily lives.
Stress: Alice is suffering from many issues that has caused to issue such as stress. Mental illness
is considered as the cause to stress (Groothuis-Oudshoorn and et.al., 2018). Alice has faced many
diseases such as psychosocial and other diseases that has caused to mental illness. Patients suffer
from any disease face plenty of stress on a regular that further causes to irritation and other
issues like anxiety. Alice was also facing the same and her family members were also facing
plenty of challenges in order to deal with the illness of Alice. Stress is causes as the devil for the
humans in living the life’s.
Financial issues: In order to deal with illness it takes allot of financial resources as well. Health
care has become immensely expensive which causes to effective financial burden on individuals
suffering from such diseases. Financial issues are among the most common issue patient and

family members face in order to deal with such diseases. It takes plenty of financial resources
like money to treat all the diseases. Due to such diseases Alice and its family members were
facing plenty of issues related to lack of money issue. Financial issue causes to extra burden the
family members and patients. Alice also does not belong to a wealthy financial background and
which created plenty of challenges for her to deal with the finance required to treat her diseases.
Psychosocial and socio economic issues
Alice was also facing psychosocial and socio economic issues in order to deals with the
diseases. Alice was facing the many problems that can be summarised in the following manner.
Depression issues: In order to treat patients it takes plenty of efforts not from the side of doctors
but also from the patient’s point of view. Depression is also among the common issue and threat
face by patient in order to cure the disease. Alice was also facing mental illness that has also
caused to depression. Depression is considered as the devil in the treatment process of patients.
Due to depression Alice was facing more problems in the process of treatment. Depression is
causes to many reasons such as extra pressure of medicines and regular checkups. Due to
depression many times patients take extra time to cure the disease. Alice has faced many diseases
which caused to depression issues many times in her life.
Stigma influence: Stigma influence is also among the major issue Alice was facing in order to
deal with the disease. This is also caused due to high pressure of health care. Patients suffer from
plenty of diseases face these kinds of issues and problems (Howe and et.al., 2018). This is also
considered as challenge patient face in order to cure them. Stigma influence is among the
dangerous disease patient face. Alice had multiple issues and this was one of the diseases which
caused to mental illness and depression as well.
Economic issues: Alice was facing economic issues due to plenty of investment involved in
treating the diseases. Finance has been a huge issue patient face while taking cure for diseases.
Health and social care provision
Edna has faced various difficulties like she doest have clear vision due to vision
deterioration and she has hearing deterioration which leads stress in her mind make her more
dependent on her family and friends. In addition, she has got venous leg ulcer on both legs which

makes her discomfort to move. In this situation she gets high level health care services and social
support as well. Community nurses should offer pharmaceutical care services to her because her
left leg ulcer is inflamed and infected. So community nurse comes twice weekly for dressing. In
that situation a nurse should always with her for offering health care services because dressing is
not enough. She can’t see and hear clearly due to visual and hear impairment, in that situation
patient requires more health care services (Usman, and et.al., 2018). So, the community nurse
can help her to communicate effectively instead of resends to enhanced fence level on her family
and friends. Edna is religious type lady who attend church regular basis but due to her physical
barrier she has to skip to go in church that’s why she felt herself socially isolated. Edna needs
social supports in that situation so World’s health organization is the best option to offer social
support because they has aim to give social care services such kind patients even they involves
family as well for improve patient wellbeing. So, WHO can help provide social care to patient
which makes her feel socially connected instead of isolatedsocially.
CONCLUSION
The brief study of the report has been understood that Edna suffers from vision, hear
impairment and she suffers difficulties due to venous leg ulcer. Overall reason leads stress in her
mid about her dependence. Due to the barriers, Edna’s communication has been impacted with
the community nurse that makes her felt socially isolated. There are some community nurses
who appears communities and interested in which Edna tell them but she unable to listen them
properly. The nurse could adapt interactive communication model which could help them to
become active listener and adjust her tone of voice. By the interactive communication model,
community nurse could communicate effectively by keeping her voice tone sharp so that Edna
can listen them properly. While feedback strategy could support community nurse and Edna
about their concerns. Edna required social care and medical care support which could improve
their health and make her feel socially connected.

REFERENCES
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