Caring for patients in clinics and hospitals is extremely difficult, but such a necessary thing. Demand for nurses is constantly growing, especially in Western Europe and the United States. But at the same time, the requirements for qualifications and personal qualities are increasing. For example, knowledge of a foreign language and the successful completion of a characterological test are increasingly required. What role does communication play in nursing? Why is it so important that special training courses are being created that pay special attention to this aspect?
Contact with another person
The choice of appropriate therapy, the appointment of procedures, and medications depend on the doctor. But the junior medical staff complies with his instructions. It is he who is in constant contact with the patient. Therefore, we can safely say that communication in nursing is an integral part of the treatment process. What is its essence? This is the interaction of two people interested in a common goal - the recovery of the patient. The main factor that helps to exchange information about the patient’s health status and perform actions (procedures - injections, droppers, physiotherapy, etc.) is communication.
Nursing is a profession based on help, on visual, tactile, verbal contact. The doctor may prescribe medications or procedures, relying only on test data and diagnosis. The sister should “introduce them into life,” that is, perform by touching the patient, paying attention to his current condition (temperature, appetite, swelling, etc.). Without “feedback”, without contact with the patient, who can report how he is feeling (so that the doctor can make adjustments), they may not bring the expected effect.
Communication Stages
No matter how trivial it may seem, communication in nursing is, first of all, tactile and eye contact. Touch, look mean a lot. Often, only on the basis of these qualities, patients judge the professionalism and character of the nurse. About one they say "she has a light hand and a good heart," the other is afraid and avoided. Even if formally - verbally - communication in nursing at the verbal level occurs politely and correctly, patients always feel by touch whether this person feels sympathy and sympathy for them or only coldly performs their duties. After a good eye contact is established (and for this it is necessary, listening, to look the patient in the eye, not to avoid looking), you can establish the following levels. This is especially important for children. They should have full confidence in the treating staff, especially the younger one. Otherwise, fear, hostility and stress will negatively affect the healing process. A field of philosophy such as bioethics deals with these issues. She considers communication in nursing in a wider context. It touches on topics such as altruism and personal distance, boundaries and mutual assistance.
Therapeutic value
It's no secret that word and touch mean - especially for an impressionable, sensitive person - a lot. They can stimulate and encourage, and can oppress and frighten. Communication in nursing is a necessary discipline, which should teach nurses to use all the senses, all the patient's mechanisms aimed at improving health. Indeed, sometimes an affable "good morning" is enough for a person to feel a desire to live, to be in a good mood and to feel like fighting an illness.