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3.8: Improving Communication

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    49265

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    Some ways of improving communication are as follows:

    • Listen without interrupting the sender.
    • Show empathy at all times and try to understand.
    • Try to stay focused on the conversation. Do not however, force the patient to continue if he/she becomes anxious or seems to wish to change the subject.
    • Use the body language that indicates your interest and concern. Touch the patient if it seems appropriate. Lean forward, listen intently and maintain eye contact if it culturally acceptable.
    • Offer factual information. This relieves anxiety. Do not offer your personal opinion. Assure the patient that you have professional discretion.
    • Try to reflect the feelings and thoughts the patient is expressing by rephrasing questions and comments using their own words.
    • Avoid unclear or misleading messages.
    • Avoid giving long explanations.
    • Give your co-workers your full attention when communicating with them.
    • Ask questions to clarify unclear messages.
    • Do not interrupt until the sender has completed the message.
    • Provide a quiet environment without distractions.
    • Be convincing wen communicating [17].

    This page titled 3.8: Improving Communication was last modified on Fri, 03 Feb 2023 01:24:55 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya (IntechOpen) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.