Outcome 4 - Apply interpersonal skills Flashcards
What is Race?
Race is used to categorize people based on distinct physical traits and geographic origins, such as skin colour, facial structure, eye colour, hair colour & other features. (Ex. Asian, black, hispanic, white, pacific islander)
What is Ethnicity?
Ethnicity refers to groups with shared identity in terms of history, traditions, language, nationality, or cultural hertitage (ex. jewish, arab, irish, italian, african, greek)
What is Culture?
Culture defines a person and is acquired from others. It encompasses values, beliefs, customs, and behaviours. religious symbols, traditions, laws, architectural styles, and social expectations are all cultural elements that contribute to self-identity.
What is understanding the communication process essential for?
Understanding the communication process is essential for developing conflict resolution, team competence, and customer service skills. By addressing problems, seeking resolution, and horning communication skills, employees can improve their contribution and become valued members of the work team.
Intercultural communication
The dental care team should focus on improving intercultural communication to understand the appropriateness of gestures, the meaning of direct and indirect communication, and body language. Healthcare providers can start by building a general awareness of a culture’s norms and then delve into a patient’s individual beliefs and values. This will help them recognize that each patient is unique, even within their cultural context.
Why is understanding and appreciating diverse cultural beliefts essential?
It is essential for providing personalized care to each patient.
What does intercultural communication involve?
Involves understanding attitudes and perceptions related to personal space, physical gestures, eye contact, and communication styles.
Using an interpreter
When using an interpreter, dental professionals should still speak directly to the patient, using short sentences and simple terminology
What is communication?
Communication is the process of transferring information from one person (or group of people) to another person or group of people. Understanding the communication process and combining that understanding with your past experiences will help you develop positive communiation skills and traits.
Factors that affect how a message is received and understood (or misunderstood) by others:
(Also known as “NOISE”)
- The language or culture of the sender and receiver
- The method by which the message is sent (for example, over the phone, in person, by e-mail).
- The voice that is used to convey the message.
- The importance of the communication or the interest level to the receiver.
- The timing of the message.
- The environment, including noise sound levels.
- The emotional and/or physical state of the receiver.
- The educational level of the sender/receiver.
- The listening style used by the receiver.
What is Non-Verbal Communication?
Includes how we use our body, voice and environment to get a message across to someone else. It includes things like distance, environment, posture, hand gestures, facial expressions and personal appearance.
What is Proxemics?
The study of distance is referred to as proxemics. Which is the study of spacial distances between indivduals in different cultures and siturations.
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall has examined the relevancy of distance in communication in different cultures and socio-economic groups. Hall’s work identifies four “zones” related to communication and distances
Importance of distance when communicating?
How far we stand from someone when we talk to them indicates a meaning to the person receiving the message. For example, when you want to tell someone something confidential, yu stad closer to the person and speak in a lower voice.
Hall’s Zone of Personal Space
Intimate: from physical contact to 18 inches - appropriate for an intimate coversation between close friends
Personal: 18 inches to 4 ft - appropriate for casual coversation
Social: 4 to 12 ft - appropriate for impersonal business matters
Public: 12 ft - appropriate for large group presentations
Healthcare workers & close spacial relationship
It’s important to recognize that healthcare workers are often close to the patients they care for. This close spatial relationship can be off-putting for some patients, causing them to be hesitant and defensive. The way you position yourself to patients is also crucial. For instance, when speaking to a child, it’s better to kneel down and maintain eye contact to establish trust and mutual respect.
How Environment affects Communication?
Where you choose to tell someone something has an impact on how the person interprets the message. Choosing an appropriate environment in which to transmit a message is very important.
The environment helps the person concentrate (or not) on what you have to say, in addition tosetting an atmosphere for listening and for feeling important.
Environmental factorsr that should be recognized and eliminated or reduced to improve the communication process:
-echos
-long distance
-poor lighting (can impede visual cues)
-temperature that is too hot or too cold will affect the comfort level and interfere with communication
-visual “noise” distractions
-anything that can be heard (noise)
What is Kinesics?
“Body movement or language”
- referes to the use of body movement or the body as a whole in communication. Kinesics can include gestures, facial expressions, gaze patterns, touch and body position.
Importance of posture?
How you hold your body when you tell someone something also indicates a non-message to the decoder.
Importance of Hand Gestures
Many different people from many different backgrounds use their hands for non-verbal expressions.
Importance of Facial expressions?
If you are being told something that is very sad but the person telling you is smiling and laughing, you might be confused because the facial experience doesn’t match the verbal message. You might also doubt the intergrity of the person and the validity of the message. It is critical for encoders to make sure their facial expressions, including voice, match the intent of the verbal message.
Importance of personal appearance ?
Appearance can be critical to the success of a message.
Your credibility may depend on how you appear to the meeting participants. The first impression you make with someone carries over to thecredibility of the message you are delivering
Importance of Vocabulary or Jargon?
As healthcare professionals, you will want to be able to ask clear and direct questions of your patients to ensure that your point is easily understood. Too many healthcare professionals insert technical jargon into their communication, not thinking that the average person does not understand what they are saying. Oftentimes patients may appear tired, fearful, stressed and anxious; in these ways, their communication skills may be impeded.
It is critical that communication is free of technical jargon. It is up to healthcare professionals to make sure that the patients understand what is happening to them.
Importance of Clarity?
Clarity is achieved when you express yourself in such a way that the meaning or message is clear to the patient, and that they have received the information to the level that you wish them to understand.
When seeking Clarity from patients…
You may have to ask them to repeat the point, ask them to paraphrase, or simply have them tell you in their own words their understanding so to minimize discrepancies in treatment or outcomes.
Oftentimes people are very reluctant to seek reiteration or ask for clarification because they do not want to appear less intelligent and they may feel a little overwhelmed to ask you to repeat a point.
Importance of Organized communication
How we organize our thinking increases our ability to provide clear, factual and direct communication with our patients. Rambling, getting off topic or speaking too quickly can all negatively impact the ability of your patient to comprehend your meaning. Organization of our thoughts is critical when providing clear and articulate information to our patients.
What is a Listening Style?
Each of us has a preferred way of making sense out of spoken messages - this is our listening style. Listening is actually a complex process of receiving > interpreting > remembering > evaluating > and responding to verbal and non-verbal messages.
Who are Relational Listeners?
Those who prefer to focus on the emotions and feelings communicated verbally and nonverbally by others.
Who are Analytical Listeners?
Those who withold judgment, listen to all sides of an issue, and wait until they hear the facts before reaching a conclusion.
Who are Critical Listeners?
Those who prefer to listen for the facts and evidence to support key ideas and an underlying logic, they also listen for errors, inconsistencies, and discrepencies.
Who are Task-Oriented Listeners?
Those who look at the overall structure of the message to see what action needs to be taken, they also llike efficient, clear and concise messages.
What is Active Listening?
There can be a difference between hearing what someone has to say, what you thought you heard and the actual message the encoder wanted to deliver. Research suggests that effective listeners are active rather than passive when listening.
Active listening means focusing on what the person is saying, not guessing what they will say next and not thinking of your response.
How to be an Active Listener?
-Paraphrase what the encoder has said to ensure that they have captured the essential pieces of the coversation
-Ask questions
-Pay attention to the coversation
-Help problem-solve
-Demonstrate empathy when necessary
-enhance customer service
Telephone Voicemessage Etiquette
When you leave a voice message, ensure that you have clearly expressed the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY. Make sure that you are professional when you use the telephone; think of the telephone as simply a channel for delivering a message. Do not leave a lengthy message.
Telephone Etiquette
When leaving a message or speaking to someone on the telephone, behave as though you are speaking to the person face-to-face. The anonymity of the telephone does not permit you to yell at someone or be rude. If you think of it as a face-to-face conversation, you may reconsider your telephone behavior. Remember, even though the other person cannot see you, they can still hear boredom, anger, or sarcasm in your voice.
Definition of Conflict
Conflict can exist between individuals or groups. Confict can also exsist within an individual or organiziation. It can be a state of opposition between persons or ideas, incompatible goals, a disagreement, etc.
Three common components to conflict:
- Personal incomatibility of interests
- Some interdependence of parties
- Some form of interaction
What is Functional conflict?
Is the term used when conflict is managed through a process of negotation and respect. An outcome of functional conflict is when team members can learn to work in a more positive and productive environment because they have had the opportunity to speak about their issues, feel that they have been heard and feel that something will be done about it.
What are some outcomes of functional conflict?
Problem awareness, reinforcement of personal values, and a better knowledge of who your co-workers are.
Can also become a catalyst for change in an environment or with a person to see that there are positives to be gained by changing personal behaviours or workplace processes
What is Dysfunctional Conflict?
When both sides leave the conflict feeling that nothing had been resolved and that tension has only been increased.
exists when there is no respect for either side’s point of view.
occurs when feelings and emotions cloud the issues and there is a sense of ego or pride in being the “winner”. Oftentimes, people feel the need to “win” a conflict and will push their attitude and perspective by using their position, age or status to make their point.
What can Dysfunctional Conflict Cause?
- Increase stress among team members and between individuals
- Waste time
-Be emotionally draining because employees can spend time gossiping and talking about the conflict rather than working
-Cause misunderstanding and miscommunication
-Be seen as a personal attack
-Increase stress and unhappiness at work, and contribute to individuals worrying over conflict rather than working
Positive aspects of conflict:
it can support new ideas, enhance discussion and increase creativity in the workplace.
What is conflict management?
Can be described as a process that enables you to deal with conflict more easily.
5 Styles of Handling Conflict:
- Avoiding
- Accommodating
- Compromising
- Competing
- Collaboration
8 Guidelines to Better Manage Conflict in the Workplace
- Avoid the use of derogatory labels as a means of reducing your frustration or anger
- Remember that the caring function is a important as other interventions. Make an empathetic statement which tells the patient that you understand that there is a problem and you are sympathetic, which allows the patient to be less defensive.
- Set realistic expectations of your own power as a healthcare professional to force compliance.
- Do not expect to change aspects of the patient’s situation beyond your control.
- Take care of your emotional well being. Select a time when you can talk to your patient when you are able to be a good listener. Do not attempt to tackle problems when you are overly tired or busy with other concerns.
- Try to help change the underlying social and institutional conditions or attitudes that lead to devaluing behavour by health professionals.
- When interacting with an aggresive patient, assure that exit is possible for you both; monitor your body language and tone of voice; avoid pointing your index finer or putting your hands on your hips in a threatening stance, avoid sarcasm and loudness.
- Work to affirm policies and practices that encourage respect of everyone while ensuring their physical and emotional safety.
Teamwork defined
Teamwork is the interaction amoung 2 or more professionals who work in conjunction with eachother in order to provide care for a patient.
Teamwork members are…
-are mutually dependent
-see themselves as working collaboratively for patient-centered care
-benefit from working collaboratively to provide patient care
-Share information which may lead to shared decision making
-Know when teamwork should be used to optimize patient-centered care
What is interprofessional collaboration?
Exists when health care professionals from different disciplines work and learn together to provide patient care
What do Roles within Teams align with?
Your personality, job knowledge, experience, and comfort level in working within the team
Different Roles that Team Members may fall into
Expert
Executive
Analyst
Chairperson
Driver
Team Player
Completer
Innovator
Explorer
Experts Role within a Team?
Expert: Has the skill and expertise required for specific task at hand. Has Strong focus on the task and may get defensive when others interfere. The expert prefers to work alone and team members often have a great deal of trust and confidence in him or her.
Executives Role within a Team?
The executive is sometimes also referred to as the organizer. The executive is generally disciplined and eager to get the job done. He or she is efficient, practical, and systematic. Executives are well organized and diligent, and quickly turn the ideas of a team into concrete actions and practical plans.
Analysts Role within a Team?
The analyst has a tendency to be reserved and critical. The analyst will also react to plans and ideas in a rational an dsensible way. He/she wll favor a prudent approach to matters and will evaluate them according to their accuracy before acting.
Chairpersons Role within a Team?
The chairperson has a strong coordinating role. With an emphasis on procedures, the chairperson will try to bring and keep the team together. He or she is communicative and deals with the members of the team in a respectful and open-minded way.
Drivers Role within a Team?
The driver is generally very ambitious and energetic. He or she may appear as impatient and impulsive. The driver is a strong motivator and will challenge others at crucial times. Although the actions of the driver may sometimes seem somewhat emotional, they do play a crucial role in pushing the team forward to succeed.
Team Players Role within a Team?
The team player is caring, avoids conflicts, and fosters harmony. Being someone who likes to help other people, the team player is generally considered agreeable and friendly. He or she is diplomatic and emphasizes solidarity and team cohesion.
Completers Role within a Team?
The completer is very conscientious and feels responsible for the team’s achievements. Completers are concerned when errors are made and they tend to worry because of their controlling nature. The completer is also known as the finisher because they are most effectively used at the end of a task, to polish and scrutinize the work for errors, subjecting it to the highest standards of quality control.
Innovators Role within a Team?
The innovator is often the creative generator of a team. He or she has a strong imagination and a desire to be original. The innovator prefers to be independent and tends to approach tasks scientifically. As a creative individual, the innovator may play a crucial role in the way a team approaches tasks and solves problems.
Explorers Role within a Team?
The explorer is generally an extrovert by nature. He or she is cheerful and gregarious. The explorer is also investigative, interested and curious about things. Because explorers like to improvise and communicate with others, they will have little problem presenting ideas to the team and developing new contacts
Skills & Attributes of a Team Player?
Trust
Coach & Supporter
Communication Skills
Knowledge
Accountability
Problem Solving
Cooperation/Collaboration
Recognizing Others
Teamwork based on the model of interprofessional collaboration provides the following benefits
-Reduces medical errors.
-Improves the quality of care.
-Addresses work-load issues.
-Builds cohesion.
-Reduces stress and ‘burn-out’.
-Increases patient safety.
-Reduces staff shortages.
-Improves job satisfaction.
-Improves patient satisfaction.
-Reduces patient morbidity.
What is Collaborative Care?
Collaborative care expands on the membership of the team in that it requires an extensive interaction among healthcare providers, patients, their families and caregivers. Collaboration builds on the concept of shared decision-making
Understanding and respecting the needs of the patient/client
As a member of an inter-professional collaborative healthcare team, the focus of the care is on the unique individual needs of your patient. This notion is much more than providing care at the level you believe is required, but providing care which is patient-focused and meets their needs.
