Learn about the essential communication skills needed in the nursing profession for efficient job performance
Nursing is an important career that requires to be taken with a lot of seriousness, reason being it deals with handling and caring for people who are not in a good state of health. Nurses are the link between the doctor, the patient, and the family members. They are required to manage the patients through the process of recuperating from when they enter the hospital to the time they leave or die.
Here are 4 essential communication skills in the nursing profession. They include writing skills, listening skills, effective speaking and presentation skills.
Writing skills
Nurses will be in most cases required to write the reports about the patients they are managing at the hospital. This is a form of communication, and it is one of the essential communication skills that nurses should possess. With proper writing skills, nurses can communicate with the doctors and fellow nurses in a clear and concise manner. The reports or anything they may be required to write must be written in a very clear and understandable manner such that the intended message is understood.
Listening skills
Listening skills in the nursing profession are key. A nurse will generally be given instructions by the doctor on how to manage the patient. This requires active and attentive listening so that they can do the required task in the correct way. Failure to listen carefully to instructions may lead to fatal medical errors in a profession where there is no margin for error.
Effective speaking
Ability to speak properly will mean the ability to convey the required message in the correct way without beating around the bush or fumbling with words. A nurse should be able to speak in a very clear and audible voice using the proper language so that the message they tend to convey is well understood either by the doctor, the patient or fellow nurses. They should check on their tone, voice and volume so that they convey the correct information in a correct and acceptable; way.
Presentation skills
At some point, nurses will be required at to do presentations either in a formal setting or informal setting. Delivering a presentation can be a very nasty affair for some people, but with proper practice and preparation, it should not be a hard issue. Nurses should be in a better position to conduct presentations once in a while.