Week 2: Interpersonal Communication & Attending Behaviours

Question 1

Describe the communication process

Answer 1

Ongoing
Dynamic
Multidimensional

Question 2

Different ways messages are conveyed in the communication process

Answer 2

Verbally
Nonverbally
Concretely
Symbolically

Question 3

Functions of Nonverbal communication

Answer 3

Contradicting (portraying a different message than their verbal communication
Emphasizing
Regulating
Contemplating
Substituting

Question 4

What is interpersonal communication

Answer 4

One to one interaction between the nurse and patient. Often occurs face to face. This is the most frequently used in nursing.

Question 5

Nonverbal communication is mostly made up of

Answer 5

Body movements -face & arms (55%)
Voice -tone, modulation & pauses (38%)
Words (7%)

Question 6

Examples of nonverbal cues

Answer 6

Posture
Facial expressions
Appearance
Voice
Tone
Hairstyle
Perfume
Clothes
Expression in your eyes
Silence
Smile
Confidence
How close you stand to others
How you listen
Your breathing
Way you stand
Way you touch people
Colour choice

Question 7

What is paralanguage

Answer 7

It’s not only about what you say but how you say it- paralanguage is the oral delivery of a verbal message expressed through

Question 8

How paralanguage is expressed

Answer 8

Through:
Tone of voice (firm/soft)
Inflection (emphasis on certain words)
Sighing
Speed of delivery
Pitch
Volume (loudness)

Question 9

How do masks interfere with communication

Answer 9

• Eliminate the roles of the middle and lower face
• Make it hard to hear, because the voice is muffled
• Difficult to express yourself and difficult to read or interpret the meaning behind what is said
• Adversely affects people with speech impediments or hearing disabilities by creating barriers to communication

Question 10

Components of body language

Answer 10

Posture
Appearance
Touch -vital for communication
Personal space
Culture and Communication

Question 11

Regarding attending behaviours, what does attending mean

Answer 11

Attending means paying close attention

Question 12

What do attending behaviours consist of

Answer 12

Posture
Eye contact
Facial expression

Question 13

Effective vs. Ineffective attending skills

Answer 13

• Effective attending skills communicate interest and a desire to understand
• Ineffective attending skills decrease the likelihood of developing a helping relationship

Question 14

Listening

Answer 14

• Listening is a foundational skill for helping and is the most ancient of healthcare skills.
• It is the ability to understand and correctly interpret messages.
• “Being with” another

Question 15

Hearing

Answer 15

• Hearing is only one stage of listening
• It simply consists of the ears picking up sound waves and transmitting them to the brain
• “Being there” rather than “Being with” another

Question 16

Active listening

Answer 16

Active listening is a dynamic, interactive process in which a nurse:
- Hears a client’s message
- Decodes its meaning
- Provides feedback to the client regarding the nurse’s understanding of the message

Question 17

Characteristics essential to listening

Answer 17

• Empathy
• Silence
• Attention to verbal/non-verbal
• Ability to be non-judgmental and accepting
• Open body language (SURETY)
• Careful observation
  Listening is a deliberate act that requires a conscious commitment from the listener.

Question 18

Listening involves the ability to detect the following:

Answer 18

• Verbal & nonverbal cues
• Feelings/emotions in a client’s tone of voice & facial expression
• Incongruencies between what the client is stating and what you are seeing nonverbally

Question 19

Use of silence

Answer 19

• To be silent and not interrupt patients who are expressing themselves is a sign of respect and interest
• Allows both patient and nurse to reflect on what has been said particularly useful if the discussion is emotional
• May allow for more appropriate response

Question 20

Barriers to active listening:

Answer 20

• External interferences:
  Comes from outside the people in conversation, such as a ringing telephone
• Internal interferences:
  Within the individual such as a lack of focus or feeling distracted

Question 21

Non verbal skills to facilitate listening

Answer 21

S: sit at an angle to the patient
U: uncross your arms and legs
R: relax
E: eye contact
T: touch
Y: your intuition

(Other considerations: unbroken eye contact can be uncomfortable, cultural considerations related to eye contact and personal space & physical environment ie; room, bed, other barriers, standing vs. sitting, etc)

Question 22

What is negative listening

Answer 22

Negative listening is not hearing what is really being said

Question 23

Elements of negative listening

Answer 23

• Waiting for the other person to stop speaking so you can say what you wish.
• Providing an answer without knowing the question
• Finishing the other person’s sentence for him/her
• Making more statements with “I” than asking questions with “you”

Question 24

Examples of negative listening in nursing

Answer 24

• False reassurances “everything will be okay”
• Giving advice by saying “if I were you, I would” or “you should”
• Expressing your own values about what is right and wrong (refusing medication)
• Using value judgements such as “I am glad you decided to choose surgery” or “you are a good patient”

Question 25

Listening responses

Answer 25

• Clarification
• Restatement
• Paraphrasing
• Reflection
• Summarization

Question 26

Paraphrasing

Answer 26

• Paraphrasing their message into your own words to clarify meaning
• Often shorter and more specific than the client’s initial statement

Question 27

Clarification

Answer 27

• Seeks to understand the message of the client by asking for more information or for elaboration on a point

Question 28

Reflection

Answer 28

• Active listening response that focuses on the emotional part of a message
• Way to empathetically mirror their sense of how a patient may be emotionally experiencing their health situation

Ex. “it sounds like you’re frustrated because of not knowing what is going on with your mom”

Question 29

Summarization

Answer 29

• Used to review content and process
• Pulls together several ideas and feelings
• Nurse summarizes lengthy discussion into a few sentences

Ex. “before moving on, I would like to go over what I think you have said so far”

Question 30

Why are nurses not meant to use medical jargon?

Answer 30

-It is:
- Unsafe (if patient misinterprets instructions)
- Frightening
- Intimidating
- Distancing (makes the patient feel like the nurse is above)
- Offensive (“where’s the Cow”)
- Condescending (makes patient feel unintelligent and lesser than)