Nurses, on a scal

e of 1 to 10, how good of a communicator

would you say you are? Maybe a six? Or a seven? Maybe youre feeling pretty confident on your nursing communication techni ues and would say an eight! "hat if the uestion was, #$ow good of a communicator are you in the %heat of battle when you completely disagree with the other persons point of view?& 'oes that change your rating? 'id it rise or fall? (he sad reality is that there are very few good communicators in this world! )f you can master the s*ill of being a good communicator, you will be in the top + to 10 percent of any profession, including nursing! (he definition of a good communicator is, openly and honestly expressing your thoughts and feelings while allowing the other person to openly and honestly express their thoughts and feelings! (he *ey words here are -openly- and -honestly-! (his is more than being nice and respectful, or .ust getting along! )t is creating an atmosphere for open dialogue, sharing ideas, hopes and dreams, listening to each other, and problem solving! (ogether! /ommunication is stifled by all types of bad habits, Truth. "hen you insist that #you are right and the other person is wrong!& Put-downs. "hen you imply that the other person is a loser because they -alwaysor -never- do certain things!

Passive-aggression! "hen you pout or withdraw and say nothing!

Sarcasm. "hen your body language and your words don-t match!

Counterattack. "hen you respond to criticism with criticism instead of ac*nowledging how the other person feels!

Diversion! "hen you bring up the past instead of dealing with the -here and now-!

Now is the time to -grow up-! )n order to eliminate these bad habits, you have to first ac*nowledge that everyone struggles with them! 0ou have developed them over a lifetime 1perhaps for good reason2! 0ou need to be honest with yourself, thoughtfully wor* to remove these habits, and create a positive atmosphere of communication! $ere are five essential techni ues to becoming a good communicator, 1! Disarming. 3ind some truth in what the other person is saying, even if you feel they are totally wrong, unreasonable, irrational or unfair!

'isarming sounds li*e this, #0oure right! ) often ma*e mista*es!& 4! Empathy. 5ut yourself in the other person-s shoes and try to see the world through their eyes! (here are two *inds of empathy,thought empathy paraphrases their words and feeling empathy ac*nowledges how they feel!

(hought 6mpathy sounds li*e this, #) want to get this straight! 7re you angry with the way ) spo*e to you?& 3eeling 6mpathy sounds li*e this, #0ou seam very hurt and frustrated with me!& 8! Inquiry. 7s* gentle, probing uestions to learn more about what the other person is thin*ing and feeling!

)n uiry sounds li*e this, #/an you give me an example?& 9! I ee!" Statements. 6xpress your feelings with #) feel& statements rather than #you& statements : #you-re wrong& or #you ma*e me furious!&

#) 3eel& ;tatements sound li*e this, #) feel upset!& +! Stroking. 3ind something genuinely positive to say to the other person! (his indicates that you respect them even though you may be angry with them!

;tro*ing sounds li*e this, #) really appreciate how much you care about your patients!&

No one is born a good communicator! )t is a s*ill that is developed with practice! /onsider writing these five essential techni ues on an index card and carrying them around for a few wee*s! (his will give you a chance to practice each one until you have them mastered! 5ractice them with your family, patients and co<wor*ers! 5ractice them in difficult and easy situations!

5ractice them one at a time or simultaneously!

=eing a good communicator is not about the other persons response> its 100? about your response! ;o, get on board@ ;tart using these five essential techni ues to improve your nursing communication s*ills today! 0ou will be surprised how uic*ly your relationships change for the better!

6mail (his 7rticle

'ealing with an #angry& patient is an uncomfortable situation for any clinician! =y nature, most people would prefer to avoid conflict! /onflicts trigger tension, which, in turn, triggers ones own flight<or<fight response! "hen met with anger, one tends to either react with anger or with the desire to flee! Aemaining calm, professional and empathetic to the emotions of the patients is sometimes very difficult for any of us, but there are nursing communication s*ills that can be used to defuse anger and re<establish effective dialogue with patients and their families! #e!ow are severa! suggestions that might prove e$$ective% AecogniBe the signs of anger before it reaches its climax! Aemain calm!

;how empathy!

6xpress concerns for the patients feelings!

7llow the patient time to #cool off& or #calm down& if necessary!

"hen ma*ing statements, use #)& rather than #0ou!& (his seems to be easier for the patient to tolerate!

 ;uggest activities that might help the patient to divert the anger such as wal*ing or .ournaling!

Aemain at a safe distance> do not invade the patients personal space during the

escalation of anger!

=e sensitive to non<verbal communication! Often non<verbal cues that the caregiver gives can further anger the patient> communication in nursing is both verbal and non<verbal!

;often re uests! 3or instance, when as*ing the patient to ta*e a particular medication, use the following, #) would really appreciate it if you would ta*e this medication! ) want to help you,& versus #0ou really need to ta*e this medication! (he doctor has ordered it for you, because we all care about you!& Nurse communication is truly an integral part in good nursing practice! (hin* of these tips when dealing with angry patients and you-ll be good to go! "ith effective communication, you could show your patients and their families that you really care! <