Week 2: 1/13/2011

I learned this week in class that good communication is an essential quality to have. Directions or information can easily get mistranslated as it passes from person to person. I learned that when it comes to verbal communication we all interpret words differently. A long with that, some are better at clearly explaining their thoughts while others have a hard time expressing themselves. The other type of communication that I find most fascinating is nonverbal communication. We didn't get to talk much about this in class but I believe nonverbal communication tells more about a person and how they feel than any other type of communication.

As a nursing student my goal is to become a great nurse. Communication is a big part of nursing and in order for me to succeed at being a nurse it is essential that I have the ability to correctly communicate with each of my patients. A nurse is the patient's advocate. And as an advocate I need to be able to be nonjudgmental and make the patient feel safe sharing their personal information. I believe it is important for a nurse to be able to control her verbal and nonverbal communication in order to convey a safe area.

As mentioned previously nurses are an advocate for their patient. As an advocate nurses must be able to correctly communicate the needs of their patients as well as be able to explain doctor's orders to the patient. Good communication between nurses is important as well. A nurse needs to be able to eloquently express concerns and needs to their peers and superiors. When there is good communication between staff there is good patient care taking place.

As a future nurse I want my patients to be confident in my abilities as well as trust me enough to express concerns. One of the things that drew me to nursing was the fact that I'd be helping people. I think some of the best ways nurses help patients are by using good communication. Making the patient feel as though they are heard may benefit their ability to heal properly. Good nonverbal skills may not be the direct reason a patient responds well to treatment but a nurses nonverbal skills may be the reason the patient has the confidence to try certain treatments or exercise. Patients rely on nurses and I want to be the kind of nurse that a patient can trust and rely on.

The other reason I want to develop good communication skills is so I can have a good relationship with other nurses and doctors. I have worked at a place where no one communicated and I've worked at a place with great communication. The place with good communication was enjoyable to work at. Because I wasn't stressed about other coworkers, and the drama that takes place with no communication, I was able to better take care of patients. Patients can sense when there is tension between coworkers and that doesn't help there healing process. Good communication produces good work and good work makes everyone happy.