ATI Ch 3, Effective Communication Flashcards
What is intrapersonal communication?
Communication that occurs within an individual, also identified as ‘self-talk’
It involves internal discussions during thought processes and is important for self-assessment in nursing.
How does intrapersonal communication benefit nurses?
It allows nurses to perform a self-assessment of their values or beliefs prior to caring for clients
This is crucial when clients’ diagnoses may trigger emotional responses.
Define interpersonal communication.
Communication that occurs one-on-one with another individual
In nursing, it is used to obtain psychosocial histories or listen to clients’ feelings.
What is small-group communication?
Communication that occurs between two or more people in a small group
In nursing, it is used to discuss client behavior changes or concerns during group therapy sessions.
Describe public communication in nursing.
Communication that occurs within large groups of people
This often involves teaching large groups, such as discussing suicide prevention in school assemblies.
Fill in the blank: Intrapersonal communication is also known as _______.
‘self-talk’
This refers to the internal dialogue that helps in self-reflection.
True or False: Interpersonal communication is used primarily for group discussions.
False
It specifically involves one-on-one interactions.
List the four basic levels of communication.
- Intrapersonal communication
- Interpersonal communication
- Small-group communication
- Public communication
Each level serves different purposes in nursing and healthcare.
What is verbal communication?
The words that are used to communicate either a written or a spoken message.
How can limited vocabulary affect communication in nursing?
It can make it difficult for the nurse to communicate with the client.
What is the significance of denotative/connotative meaning in communication?
Participants must share meanings to avoid miscommunication.
What is the principle of clarity/brevity in communication?
The shortest, simplest communication is usually most effective.
Why is timing/relevance important in communication?
Knowing when to communicate allows the receiver to be more attentive to the message.
How can pacing affect communication?
The rate of speech can communicate a meaning to the receiver.
What does intonation refer to in verbal communication?
The tone of voice can communicate a variety of feelings.
What is nonverbal communication?
Communication that is not expressed in words, which can have more impact than verbal words.
How does culture impact nonverbal communication?
Culture impacts the interpretation of nonverbal cues.
What should a nurse assess in a client’s nonverbal communication?
The meaning being conveyed through behaviors.
List key nonverbal behaviors a nurse should observe.
- Appearance
- Posture
- Gait
- Facial expressions
- Eye contact
- Gestures
- Sounds
- Territoriality
- Personal space
- Silence
What are some examples of affect in nonverbal communication?
- Frowning
- Lack of expression
- Grimacing
- Pursed lips
- Raised or lowered eyebrows
- Biting, licking, or smacking lips
- Nose scrunching
What are signs of incongruent appearance in nonverbal communication?
- Sudden disrobing
- Clothing incongruent to current temperature
- Disheveled grooming
What autonomic responses might indicate emotional distress?
- Visible brow or palm perspiration
- Pupil dilation
- Facial flushing or paleness
- Increased respirations
What body behaviors can indicate emotional states?
- Gait
- Posture
- Hand clenching
- Rocking
- Psychomotor agitation
What eye movements might suggest suspicion or anxiety?
- Suspicious
- Squinting
- Open with minimal blinking
What is therapeutic communication?
The purposeful use of communication to build and maintain helping relationships with clients, families, and significant others.
Why is therapeutic communication essential in mental health care?
It addresses the emotional and physical effects of mental health disorders on clients.
What are the key purposes of therapeutic communication by nurses?
- Elicit and attend to the client’s thoughts, feelings, concerns, and needs.
- Express empathy and genuine concern.
- Obtain information and give feedback about the client’s condition.
- Intervene to promote functional behavior and effective interpersonal relationships.
- Evaluate the client’s progress toward goals and outcomes.
Which populations may require adapted techniques for communication?
Children and older adults.
What does effective use of the nursing process depend on?
Therapeutic communication between the nurse, the client, the client’s family, and the interprofessional team.
What is a characteristic of therapeutic communication?
Client-centered: not social or reciprocal.
What are the essential components of therapeutic communication?
- Time
- Attending behaviors or active listening
- Caring attitude
- Honesty
- Trust
- Empathy
- Nonjudgmental attitude
How should time be managed in therapeutic communication?
Plan for and allow adequate time to communicate.
What are attending behaviors or active listening?
Nonverbal means of conveying interest in another.
What does eye contact typically convey in therapeutic communication?
Interest and respect, although it varies by situation and culture.
How can body language and posture affect communication?
They can demonstrate level of comfort and ease.
What role does vocal quality play in therapeutic communication?
It enhances rapport and emphasizes particular topics or issues.
What is verbal tracking?
Providing feedback by restating or summarizing a client’s statements.
What is the importance of showing a caring attitude?
It shows concern and facilitates an emotional connection with the client and their family.
What does honesty in therapeutic communication entail?
Being open, direct, truthful, and sincere.
Define trust in the context of therapeutic communication.
Demonstrating reliability without doubt or question.
What is empathy in therapeutic communication?
Conveying an objective awareness and understanding of the feelings, emotions, and behaviors of others.
What does a nonjudgmental attitude encourage?
Open, honest communication.
What is the first step in the nursing process?
Assessment
The nursing process consists of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
What should be assessed regarding communication needs?
Verbal and nonverbal communication needs
This includes understanding how clients communicate both verbally and through body language.
What cultural considerations can impact communication?
Eye contact, personal space, touch
Different cultures have varying norms regarding these aspects of communication.
What should be considered when assessing for congruency in communication?
Congruency between verbal and nonverbal messages
It’s important to ensure that what is said aligns with how it is expressed nonverbally.
How should communication be adapted for children?
Use simple, straightforward language
Children may not understand complex terminology.
Why is it important to be aware of nonverbal messages when communicating with children?
Children are sensitive to nonverbal communication
Nonverbal cues can significantly influence children’s understanding and feelings.
What technique can enhance communication with children?
Be at the child’s eye level
This helps in establishing rapport and making children feel more comfortable.
How can play be incorporated into interactions with children?
Incorporate play in interactions
Play can facilitate communication and help children express themselves.
What is a key consideration when communicating with adolescents?
How the adolescent perceives the mental health diagnosis
Their perception can influence their willingness to accept treatment.
What risk might an adolescent face regarding treatment?
Refusal of treatment due to a desire to be ‘normal’
Adolescents often seek acceptance from peers, which can impact their treatment decisions.
What should be recognized when communicating with older adult clients?
The client might require amplification
Hearing loss is common in older adults, which can hinder communication.
What strategies can minimize distractions when communicating with older adults?
Minimize distractions, face the client when speaking
This helps ensure the client can focus on the conversation.
What is important to allow when communicating with older adult clients?
Plenty of time for the client to respond
Older adults may take longer to process information and formulate responses.
What should be done when impaired communication is assessed in older adults?
Ask for input from caregivers or family
They can provide insights on the extent of communication deficits and suggest effective strategies.
What should be minimized during planning?
Distractions
Minimizing distractions is crucial for effective planning.
What is essential to provide for during planning?
Privacy
Privacy is important for a comfortable client experience.
What should be identified in the planning phase?
Mutually agreed-upon client outcomes
Collaborating on outcomes enhances client engagement.
How should priorities be set according to the client’s needs?
By identifying and addressing the client’s needs
Prioritizing client needs is vital for effective care.
What should be planned for during interventions?
Adequate time
Allowing enough time is essential for meaningful interventions.
What should be explained at the beginning of the interview?
The purpose of writing notes or recording notes
Clarifying the purpose helps build transparency.
What is important for establishing during the implementation phase?
A trusting nurse-client relationship
Trust enhances the client’s comfort and cooperation.
What rights should be reiterated to the client?
The client’s right to privacy and confidentiality
Ensuring the client understands their rights is fundamental.
What are the essential qualities a nurse considers when building rapport?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
DEI principles foster better communication and understanding.
What type of responses should a nurse provide to the client?
Empathetic responses and explanations
Empathy helps in building a supportive therapeutic relationship.
What should be manipulated to decrease distractions?
The environment
A controlled environment can enhance focus and comfort.
What should be ensured in a private area?
Accessibility to help in case of an emergency
Safety measures must be in place even in private settings.
What type of language should be used?
Bias-free language
Using inclusive language promotes respect and understanding.
What should be focused on regarding client characteristics?
Relevant characteristics
Focusing on relevant traits ensures personalized care.
What should be acknowledged regarding differences?
Relevant differences that do exist
Recognizing differences fosters inclusivity and respect.
What should be acknowledged about people?
People’s humanity
Recognizing humanity strengthens the nurse-client relationship.
What should be asked regarding pronouns?
What pronouns do you prefer?
Asking about pronouns shows respect for identity.
What should be avoided in language use?
False hierarchies
Avoiding false hierarchies promotes equality in communication.
What is a careful use of the word that should be avoided?
Normal
The term ‘normal’ can create unnecessary hierarchies among clients.
What is the role of silence in effective communication?
Silence allows time for meaningful reflection.
Silence can create space for thought and understanding.
Define active listening in the context of nursing.
The nurse is able to hear, observe, and understand what the client communicates and to provide feedback.
Active listening involves not just hearing words but also understanding the emotions behind them.
What are open-ended questions and their purpose?
Facilitates spontaneous responses and interactive discussion.
Open-ended questions encourage clients to express themselves more fully.
When should closed-ended questions be used in nursing communication?
Helpful if used sparingly during the initial interaction to obtain specific data.
Overuse can block further communication.
What are projective questions?
Uses ‘what if’ or similar questions to assist clients in exploring feelings and gaining understanding of problems and solutions.
These questions help clients think about their situations creatively.
What do presupposition questions aim to explore?
Explores the client’s life goals or motivations by presenting a hypothetical situation where the client no longer has the mental health disorder.
This can help clients envision a future without their current challenges.
What is the purpose of clarifying techniques?
Used to determine if the message received was accurate.
Ensures that both the nurse and client have a shared understanding.
What is restating in the context of nursing communication?
Uses the client’s exact words.
This technique reinforces the client’s message and shows active listening.
Define reflecting in nursing communication.
Directs the focus back to the client for examination of their feelings.
Reflecting can help clients gain insight into their emotions.
What does paraphrasing involve?
Restates the client’s feelings and thoughts for confirmation.
This technique helps clarify and validate the client’s message.
What is the purpose of exploring in nursing communication?
Allows the nurse to gather more information regarding important topics mentioned by the client.
This deepens the understanding of the client’s concerns.
What are general leads or broad opening statements?
Encourages the client to determine where the communication can start and to continue talking.
This promotes open dialogue.
What is the significance of showing acceptance and recognition?
Acknowledges the nurse’s interest and nonjudgmental attitude.
This builds trust between the client and nurse.
What does focusing help the client do?
Helps the client to concentrate on what is important.
This can clarify priorities in the conversation.
What does giving information entail in nursing communication?
Provides details that the client might need for decision-making.
This empowers clients by equipping them with knowledge.
What is the purpose of presenting reality?
Helps the client focus on what is actually happening and dispels delusions, hallucinations, or faulty beliefs.
This technique is crucial for clients experiencing distorted perceptions.
What does summarizing do in a conversation?
Emphasizes important points and reviews what has been discussed.
This reinforces understanding and retention of information.
What does offering self indicate in nursing communication?
Demonstrates a willingness to spend time with the client and shows genuine concern.
This can enhance the therapeutic relationship.
How can touch be used in therapeutic communication?
If appropriate, therapeutic touch communicates caring and can provide comfort to the client.
Touch must be used judiciously and with consent.
Why might seating arrangements be important in nursing communication?
A client experiencing hyperactivity or increased anxiety may have difficulties communicating while sitting.
Walking around can improve communication adherence.
What is motivational interviewing?
A style of communication that assists clients in developing motivation to resolve insecurities and ambivalent feelings towards behavior change.
This technique is especially effective in promoting lifestyle changes.
What is a barrier to effective communication that involves asking questions unrelated to the topic?
Asking irrelevant personal questions
This can divert the conversation away from the main issue.
What barrier to communication involves sharing one’s own views instead of focusing on the other person’s perspective?
Offering personal opinions
This can lead to misunderstandings and alienate the other person.
What is it called when someone tries to help by suggesting what another person should do?
Giving advice
This may come off as intrusive or unhelpful.
What barrier to communication is characterized by providing comfort that may not be genuine?
Giving false reassurance
This can undermine trust and authenticity in communication.
What barrier involves downplaying someone’s emotional experience?
Minimizing feelings
This can invalidate a person’s emotions and experiences.
What communication barrier occurs when the topic of conversation is abruptly shifted?
Changing the topic
This can disrupt the flow of discussion and leave issues unresolved.
Fill in the blank: Asking ‘why’ questions can be a barrier to effective communication because it may lead to _______.
defensiveness
Such questions can make individuals feel attacked or judged.
What is a barrier to effective communication that involves making assessments or evaluations of others?
Offering value judgments
This can create a negative atmosphere and discourage open dialogue.
What type of questioning can overwhelm the person being communicated with, making them feel pressured?
Excessive questioning
This can lead to frustration and disengagement.
What barrier is characterized by asking questions in quick succession without allowing for responses?
Rapid questioning
This can hinder effective communication by not giving the other person time to think.
What is the term for expressing approval or disapproval in a way that can affect communication negatively?
Giving approval or disapproval
This can create a power imbalance and discourage honest conversation.
