3.15: Counter-Productive Communication Techniques
There are certain counter-productive communication techniques that the nurse should avoid as they do not assist in the recovery of the patient and do not have any therapeutic value. Table 2 shows counter-productive communication techniques, explains why these should be avoided and gives examples [ 10 , 18 ].
| Non-therapeutic techniques | Rationale | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Inappropriate reassurance | The nurse attempts to brush aside the patient’s aside the patient’s worry by acting as though it is unnecessary or inappropriate. Reassurance is not based on fact or real certainty. This helps the nurse more than it helps the patient | “Do not worry; everything will be fine” |
| Passing judgment | The nurse passes judgment on the patient’s behavior, thoughts or feelings and in doing so, places herself in the position of an adversary or a person who knows better and more | “As a Christian, I do not think you should terminate this pregnancy” |
| Giving advice | The nurse tells the patient how he/she ought to feel, think or act. This implies that she has the correct information and knows better than the patient. This is particularly problematic when the advice is based on limited assessment and knowledge of the patient and the situation | “I think you must…” |
| Closed questions | These questions require only a single word as an answer when specific information is needed. If this type of question is used often, the patient are less inclined to give the information and may be interpreted as an interrogation | “Do you feel any pain in your arm?” |
| ‘Why’ questions | These questions demand that the patient explains behavior, feelings or thoughts that he/she often does not understand himself or herself. These questions are often asked early in a conversation when the nurse cannot even be certain that the patient wants to explain himself of herself to the nurse | “Why are you upset?” |
| Offering platitudes | This is stereotyped expression of something the patient is in any case aware of and which, therefore, helps little. This is similar to giving advice | “Everybody goes through this in life” |
| Defensiveness | The nurse tries to defend someone or something the patient criticized. This places the nurse and the patient on opposite sides and does not promote further openness on the part of the patient | “We are very short-staffed; so we cannot help everyone at the same time” |
- Non-therapeutic communication techniques that should be avoided.