VERBAL VS NON-VERBAL Communication | Therapeutic Communication |Lecturio Nursing Fundamentals/Theory

Summary

This video series delves into therapeutic communication, a vital skill in nursing for building effective relationships in healthcare. It emphasizes the importance of communication in preventing errors and enhancing patient outcomes. The series explores various forms of communication, including verbal, nonverbal, symbolic, and metacommunication, and their impact on patient care. It also discusses therapeutic communication techniques that prioritize patient well-being, such as active listening, affirming statements, open-ended questions, and the strategic use of nonverbal cues like eye contact and therapeutic touch. These methods are crucial for establishing trust and providing compassionate care.

Takeaways

• 📚 Communication is a critical skill in nursing practice, essential for building effective relationships with clients, families, and healthcare team members.
• 🏥 Effective communication in healthcare settings helps prevent errors, improves patient outcomes, and enhances patient experiences.
• 🗣️ Verbal communication involves spoken or written words and can be influenced by factors like speech speed, inflection, volume, and language.
• 🤔 Nonverbal communication is interpreted through all five senses and includes appearance, posture, facial expressions, and gestures.
• 🎨 Symbolic communication uses verbal and nonverbal symbols and icons, such as art and music, which can be therapeutic for patients.
• 🔄 Metacommunication is the combination of all factors influencing communication, often seen when verbal and nonverbal cues contradict each other.
• 💡 Therapeutic communication prioritizes patients' physical, mental, and emotional well-being, using various communication techniques to connect with patients.
• 👂 Listening without interrupting and using affirming statements are key aspects of effective verbal communication in nursing.
• 🤓 Open-ended questions facilitate deeper patient engagement and can lead to richer information exchange.
• 🧍‍♂️ Nonverbal cues like eye contact, personal space, and posture are crucial for establishing trust and rapport with patients.
• 🤝 Therapeutic touch, when appropriate, can provide comfort and convey empathy, enhancing the patient-nurse relationship.

Q & A

Why is communication considered a critical skill in nursing practice?

Communication is a critical skill in nursing practice because it helps prevent errors, improves patient outcomes, and enhances the patient experience by building effective relationships with clients, families, and healthcare team members.

How does effective communication contribute to therapeutic relationships in healthcare?

Effective communication contributes to therapeutic relationships by ensuring better understanding, empathy, and trust between healthcare providers and patients, leading to improved patient satisfaction and care outcomes.

What are the different forms of communication discussed in the script?

The script discusses four forms of communication: verbal, nonverbal, symbolic, and metacommunication. Each form plays a role in conveying meaning and building therapeutic relationships.

Can you explain the role of verbal communication in healthcare settings?

Verbal communication in healthcare settings involves spoken or written words to convey information. It is crucial for clear communication between nurses, patients, and healthcare providers, and influences the patient experience.

What factors can influence nonverbal communication in a healthcare setting?

Nonverbal communication in healthcare settings can be influenced by appearance, posture, facial expressions, eye contact, personal space, and gestures. These factors can significantly impact how messages are interpreted by patients.

How is symbolic communication used therapeutically in healthcare?

Symbolic communication uses verbal and nonverbal symbols, icons, art, and music to convey messages. It can be therapeutic for clients as it provides an alternative way to express and process emotions and experiences.

What is metacommunication and how does it relate to healthcare communication?

Metacommunication is the combination of all factors that influence communication. In healthcare, it involves recognizing and interpreting inconsistencies between verbal and nonverbal cues, which can provide deeper insights into a patient's feelings and needs.

Why is it important for nurses to maintain professional distance and objectivity while communicating with patients?

Nurses need to maintain professional distance and objectivity to ensure they provide care based on medical needs and not personal feelings, which helps in making unbiased decisions and maintaining trust in the patient-nurse relationship.

What are some examples of effective verbal communication techniques for nurses?

Effective verbal communication techniques for nurses include not interrupting patients, using affirming statements, asking open-ended questions, and summarizing what the patient has said to show understanding and empathy.

How can nonverbal communication be used to support therapeutic relationships in nursing?

Nonverbal communication can support therapeutic relationships by making eye contact, maintaining appropriate personal space, using therapeutic touch, and being mindful of posture and facial expressions to convey empathy and understanding.

What is the significance of using silence and presence in therapeutic communication?

Using silence and presence in therapeutic communication allows nurses to be fully attentive to the patient's needs without feeling the need to constantly speak or fix their problems. This can provide comfort and show that the nurse is there to support them.

Outlines

00:00

💬 Introduction to Therapeutic Communication

This paragraph introduces the topic of therapeutic communication within the healthcare setting. It emphasizes the importance of communication in nursing practice, highlighting its critical role in preventing errors, improving patient outcomes, and enhancing the patient experience. The speaker discusses different forms of communication, including verbal, nonverbal, symbolic, and metacommunication, and explains how they influence the therapeutic relationship. Verbal communication is described as the exchange of spoken or written words, while nonverbal communication involves gestures and body language. Symbolic communication uses art and music, and metacommunication is a combination of all factors that influence communication, such as when a patient's verbal and nonverbal cues contradict each other.

05:03

🤝 Techniques for Therapeutic Communication

This paragraph delves into the application of therapeutic communication techniques in nursing. It underscores the need for nurses to use basic forms of communication to connect with patients and establish therapeutic relationships. The speaker provides examples of effective verbal communication, such as not interrupting patients, using affirming statements, asking open-ended questions, and summarizing what the patient has said to show understanding. Nonverbal communication is also explored, with the speaker discussing the importance of posture, gait, eye contact, personal space, and therapeutic touch. The paragraph concludes with a focus on the use of silence and presence as powerful nonverbal communication tools, especially in pediatric care where the nurse's posture can significantly impact the patient's perception.

Keywords

💡Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic communication refers to the purposeful and skilled interaction between a healthcare professional and a patient, aimed at fostering a positive patient experience, enhancing treatment outcomes, and building trust. In the video, it is highlighted as a critical skill for nurses to establish effective relationships within the healthcare setting, emphasizing the importance of verbal and nonverbal cues to convey empathy and understanding.

💡Nursing Practice

Nursing practice encompasses the broad scope of professional nursing care, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient care. The script underscores that communication is an integral part of nursing practice, as it directly impacts patient care quality and safety.

💡Patient Experience

Patient experience refers to the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization's culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care. The video script emphasizes that effective communication is key to enhancing the patient experience by ensuring that patients feel heard, understood, and valued.

💡Verbal Communication

Verbal communication involves the transmission of messages through spoken words, which can include tone, pace, volume, and clarity. The script mentions that verbal communication is fundamental in nursing, as it allows for direct exchange of information and feelings, and it plays a crucial role in preventing misunderstandings and errors.

💡Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication encompasses all forms of communication other than the spoken word, including body language, facial expressions, and gestures. The video script discusses how nonverbal cues can significantly influence the therapeutic relationship, as they can convey emotions and attitudes that might not be explicitly stated.

💡Symbolic Communication

Symbolic communication uses symbols, icons, and other non-literal representations to convey meaning. In the context of the video, symbolic communication is exemplified by the use of art and music, which can serve as therapeutic tools to communicate with patients in a non-traditional and emotionally resonant way.

💡Metacommunication

Metacommunication refers to the process of communicating about communication, where the sender and receiver are aware of the signals and their interpretations. The script provides an example of metacommunication in a healthcare setting, where a nurse might interpret a patient's body language and verbal cues to assess their comfort and anxiety levels.

💡Professional Distance

Professional distance is the appropriate emotional and psychological space maintained by healthcare providers to ensure objectivity and professionalism in their interactions with patients. The video script discusses the importance of maintaining professional distance while also establishing a therapeutic relationship, highlighting the balance needed in nursing practice.

💡Affirming Statements

Affirming statements are verbal responses that validate a patient's feelings or experiences, demonstrating empathy and understanding. The script illustrates the use of affirming statements as a form of verbal communication that can help build trust and rapport with patients.

💡Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions are inquiries that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no' and encourage elaboration. The video script explains that using open-ended questions in verbal communication can facilitate deeper conversations and provide healthcare providers with more comprehensive insights into a patient's condition or concerns.

💡Therapeutic Touch

Therapeutic touch is a form of nonverbal communication that involves physical contact intended to provide comfort or support. The script discusses the use of therapeutic touch as a means to convey care and empathy, suggesting that sometimes, physical presence and touch can be more powerful than words in providing comfort to patients.

Highlights

Introduction to the video series on therapeutic communication.

Importance of communication in nursing practice for building effective relationships.

Communication's role in preventing errors and improving patient outcomes.

The significance of effective communication for patient experience.

Exploration of different forms of communication in healthcare.

Explanation of verbal communication and its influencing factors.

Discussion on nonverbal communication and its reliance on all five senses.

Introduction to symbolic communication through art and music.

Definition and example of metacommunication in healthcare.

Therapeutic communication techniques for patient well-being.

Application of communication forms in nursing for therapeutic relationships.

Guidelines for effective verbal communication with patients.

Importance of not interrupting and using affirming statements in verbal communication.

Benefits of using open-ended questions in patient interactions.

The value of summarizing patient statements for effective communication.

Nonverbal communication aspects: posture, gait, eye contact, and facial expressions.

Strategies for maintaining personal space and using therapeutic touch.

The impact of a nurse's posture on patient perception and communication.

Considerations for nonverbal communication in pediatric care.

Transcripts

Hi, I wanna welcome you to our video series on therapeutic communication.

So, first, we're gonna explore communication

and then focus it on therapeutic communication

for building effective relationships in the health care setting.

So, first of all, let's talk about communication in nursing practice.

This really just goes hand in hand, because in nursing,

it's a critical skill for all nurses with clients, families, and their health care team members.

So, why is communication so important, we do it every day, this is our day-to-day practice,

but really, in the health care setting, it helps prevent errors,

makes outcomes much better for our patient, and a much better patient experience.

So, any of you ever been in the hospital or a loved one in the hospital?

You know that communication is so important with your health care providers in your team,

so if you have effective communication, you have much better therapeutic relationships.

So, let's talk about different forms of communication and why these are important.

First off, let's talk about verbal communication which is what I'm doing with you now.

It could be spoken or a written word to convey a meaning.

So, all things are going to influence this such as how fast that I talked to you?

Maybe even the inflection of my voice, how loud, how soft, etcetera,

something else to think about is even language.

Next, let's think about nonverbal forms of communication.

This one can be a little bit trickier because it involves all five senses in interpretation of its meaning.

So, it may -- things to consider are appearance. Maybe how I'm standing.

If I have my arms crossed, talking to you, and maybe frowning,

so all of these gestures are going to influence nonverbal communication.

Another unique form of communication is symbolic.

This is where a verbal and nonverbal symbols and icons are used by others,

so a great example of this is gonna be art and music.

This is a great way to communicate in a different form that can be very therapeutic for the clients.

Lastly, we have metacommunication.

This one's interesting because it's gonna be a combination of all factors that influence communication.

So, what is the metacommunication?

Well, this is a little bit interesting so here's an example,

Maybe you go to the doctor and you hate needles, and you're going to get a flu shot

and as a nurse, I'm gonna come give you a flu shot

and if you're squinching away from the needle,

when you're about to inject me, and I say, "Are you okay? Are you nervous about the needle?"

And the patient's like , "No, I'm fine, it's fine."

Now if you see that, and obviously, the person's verbal

and their body language are not matching, this is a metacommunication example.

We just talked about different forms of communication.

Now let's focus on therapeutic communication.

This is a collection of techniques that prioritizes the physical, the mental, and the emotional well-being of patients.

So, for nursing, how does this apply?

We have to use these basic forms of communication to connect with our patient

and make a therapeutic relationship.

So, we provide patients with support and information,

but we also have to maintain a level of professional distance and objectivity.

Okay, now let's focus on specific forms of communication.

So, we've already talked about verbal and how absolutely important

that is such as the specific written word or spoken.

This is definitely needed between nurse and our patient, nurse and our health care provider,

and just the team in general, to make the patient experience better.

So, let's look at some examples.

So things to think about when we're giving verbal communication is,

hey, first of all, don't interrupt people, right?

Nothing is worse than your patient trying to let you know how they feel,

the fact that they're communicating with us is great,

but if you cut them off in midsentence, that's definitely gonna shut off that piece of communication.

The other piece is looking at affirming statements.

So, it's not that we have to stroke their ego necessarily,

but just think about when they were saying yes,

I can understand how that's gotta be difficult for you,

so even those statements are letting the patient know that,

hey, you're listening to them, you hear them, and you're on the same page with them.

Another thought is to use open-ended questions, such as, "Hey, how are you feeling right now?"

If you've ever done this with a loved one or even a friend,

you notice sometimes that it opens up the floodgates of the information that you get from that patient,

so open-ended questions are a great way to use verbal communication.

And next is summarizing it. Believe it or not, it's not mocking the patient,

you're letting the patient know you've heard them,

such as, hey, what I've heard you said is that this hospitalization has been very difficult for you.

These are some things that's been really difficult

such as getting your lab draws or doing some of the tests were very scary.

We understand that. So these are great ways of using verbal communication

and connecting with your client to make that therapeutic relationship.

So next, let's look at nonverbal communication.

We talked about how it uses all five senses, so don't forget about how your posture is.

Also, think about your gait, how you're looking at the patient, your facial expressions.

Let's think about some nonverbal examples:

making eye contact, maintaining personal space, and using therapeutic touch.

I know some of these may seem kinda contradictory,

but think about maintaining personal space.

Let's say your patient is upset, they're letting you know how they feel.

Maybe not getting in their personal space is always the best idea.

The other thought is therapeutic touch especially with the use of silence.

I think as nurses we really underestimate trying to talk to patients

and trying to fix it for them, or maybe even saying the right things,

but sometimes, just being present,

being there for a patient, maybe even putting a hand on their wrist or on their shoulder,

and just being present in the moment is all that patient needs.

The last thing to think about is the posture.

So, someone's talking to you and you're kinda slumped, oh, you don't seem very interested,

your body language isn't really making connection with the patient, this can be read wrong.

The other thought is especially in pediatrics,

if we're looming over the child while we're taking care of them,

this can definitely be looked as threatening for them.