Communication - E-Book

Gjyn O'Toole

Description

This text introduces health sciences students to the various interpersonal communication skills that are commonly used within health settings to establish relationships with clients and fellow professionals, and improve therapeutic outcomes. It focuses on developing self awareness and skills for use in health settings and covers the types of scenarios commonly encountered in health settings that are rarely covered in generic professional communication texts. Perspectives and examples are drawn from a wide range of health professions. The book includes activities that will enable students to reflect on their experiences and practice using the skills.

Sujets

• Allied Health Services
• Medical
• Médecine

Informations

• Publié par: Churchill Livingstone Australia
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9780729578592
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents

Cover image
Front Matter
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Preface
Reviewers
1. Defining communication for health professionals
2. The overall goal of communication for health professionals
3. The specific goals of communication for health professionals: 1
4. The specific goals of communication for health professionals: 2
5. Awareness of and need for reflective practice
6. Awareness of self
7. Awareness of the ‘other’
8. Awareness of different environments
9. Communication with the whole person
10. ‘Other’-centred communication
11. Ethical communication
12. Non-verbal communication
13. Stereotypes, judgement and communication
14. Conflict and communication
15. Culturally appropriate communication
16. Communicating with indigenous peoples
17. Misunderstandings and communication
18. Remote communication
INTRODUCTION TO FOUR: THE FOCUS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS: PEOPLE
19. People experiencing strong emotions
20. People in particular stages of the lifespan
21. People in particular roles
22. People with particular conditions
23. People in particular contexts
Glossary
Index
Front Matter

Communication
Core Interpersonal Skills for Health Professionals
Gjyn O'Toole

Sydney Edinburgh London New York Philadelphia St Louis Toronto
Copyright

Churchill Livingstone is an imprint of Elsevier
Elsevier Australia. ACN 001 002 357
(a division of Reed International Books Australia Pty Ltd)
Tower 1, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067
© 2008 Elsevier Australia
This publication is copyright. Except as expressly provided in the Copyright Act 1968 and the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted by any means (including electronic, mechanical, microcopying, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.
Every attempt has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright, but in some cases this may not have been possible. The publisher apologises for any accidental infringement and would welcome any information to redress the situation.
This publication has been carefully reviewed and checked to ensure that the content is as accurate and current as possible at time of publication. We would recommend, however, that the reader verify any procedures, treatments, drug dosages or legal content described in this book. Neither the author, the contributors, nor the publisher assume any liability for injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from any error in or omission from this publication.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

O'Toole, Gjyn.
Communication : core interpersonal skills for health professionals / Gjyn O'Toole
ISBN: 9780729538596 (pbk.)
Includes index.
Bibliography.
Communication in medicine
Medical personnel and patient
Interpersonal communication
610.696
Publisher: Heidi Allen
Developmental Editor: Samantha McCulloch
Publishing Services Manager: Helena Klijn
Editorial Coordinator: Eleanor Cant
Edited by Alexandra Holliday
Proofread by Gabrielle Challis
Internal design and typesetting by Midland Typesetters
Cover design by Trina McDonald
Index by Master Indexing
Printed by Ligare Pty Ltd
It is the policy of Elsevier Australia to use vegetable-based inks on paper manufactured from sustainable forests wherever possible.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Deirdre Heitmeyer from the Birabahn Indigenous Education Unit at the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, and Ailsa Haxell for their invaluable evaluation of the details found in Chapter 16 .
The people who assisted with compilation of Section Four ( Ch 19 , Ch 20 , Ch 21 , Ch 22 and Ch 23 ) include Esther Brooks (teacher extraordinaire), Matt Peters (talented health professional) and Nell Harrison (creative and reliable health professional) – all phenomenal people. To say thanks is not enough.
I especially thank three people: Mitch, a wonderful model of a communicator in many forms; Esther, author, communicator and editor extraordinaire; and Jasen, an interested and invaluable communicator. The encouragement and support I receive from the three of you makes it all possible.
I also have students, colleagues, friends and other family members to thank for their commitment to both challenging and encouraging me in my journey towards becoming an effective communicator.
I am, however, most in debt to the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, God.
Preface
Development of skills in communication is an ongoing journey for each person. It requires awareness of personal biases and prejudice, awareness of the needs of the ‘other’, awareness of the effects of environment and background, as well as reflection about communicative practice. Even the best communicators have times when they experience unsatisfactory communicative acts and regret the effects of an interaction. The journey for a health professional in developing communication skills is often eventful and sometimes difficult. However, commitment to perseverance in overcoming the barriers to effective communication is a beneficial and rewarding process for any person, but especially for a health professional.
This book contains four sections that focus on particular elements of communication. Section One examines the significance of communication in the health professions. Section Two highlights the importance of reflection and increased awareness when communicating as a health professional. It indicates this awareness must be of ‘self' as well as the ‘other’ and the environment. Section Three emphasises the specific characteristics of and skills required for effective communication in the health professions.
Section Four presents forty-one scenarios that illustrate typical situations and people a health professional might encounter during their working week. This section challenges readers to consider in depth the circumstances and needs of the people in the scenarios. Section Four encourages readers to validate the information found in the first three sections of the book, thus promoting application of the information learnt and consolidation of the skills developed in these sections.
All sections include presentation of information and opportunity for reflection and discussion. They provide opportunities to communicate with both ‘self' and ‘others’ in an attempt to promote awareness of the major factors contributing to effective communication.
Reviewers
Katherine Bathgate, BSc, GradDipDiet, GradCertTeach, MPH

Lecturer, School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia
Ailsa Haxell, RN, MHSc (Hons)

Senior Lecturer, School of Health Care Practice, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Steve Parker, RN, RPN, DipT (NurseEd), BEd, PhD

Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Erika Gisel, PhD (Biol), MSc, BSc (Occ Ther), BA (Ed)

Professor, Faculty of Medicine; Head of School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
1. Defining communication for health professionals
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
Upon completing this chapter, students should be able to

• Explain why it is essential to learn about effective communication

• Define effective communication

• Understand the importance of effective communication

• Identify factors contributing to effective communication

• Understand the importance of the ‘audience' when communicating.

Why learn how to communicate? – Everyone can communicate!
Communication occurs constantly throughout the world and most individuals participate in acts of communication every day regardless of their nationality, age or interests. Most people would agree that communication is unavoidable and usually essential for satisfactory daily life. Every person communicates, even those who are unable to produce speech. If everyone communicates in daily life, however, then you may think it unnecessary to learn how to communicate in healthcare settings, because everyone can communicate already. While it is true that almost everyone communicates, in most healthcare settings there are specific required characteristics of communication and particular situations that test the communication skills of any communicator. Effective communication in a healthcare setting requires particular understanding of others and oneself, as well as highly-developed communication skills. Individuals do not usually acquire such awareness or skill in daily life and thus it is beneficial to learn about communication if preparing to be an effective health professional. Higgs et al (2005) indicate that effective communication is an essential core skill that ensures positive outcomes for individuals seeking the assistance of any health professional. If effective communication skills are vital for successful practice in the health professions, it is crucial to understand both communication and effective communication.

Defining communication
Many dictionaries indicate that communication involves the sending and receiving of messages. They state that communication can take place through auditory/verbal, visual and non-verbal fo