Appropriate Model of Communication
Discuss about the about barriers to effective communication and how to overcome the barriers in Healthcare.
Quality care depends on an effective communication between the patient and the practitioner or counselor. Improper communication can lead to inefficient Patient care that may then delay the healing process. Effective communication, on the other hand, can improve satisfaction in the healthcare setting and contribute towards improved long-lasting medical outcomes (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). A counselor or a general practitioner must ensure that they practice good communication skills to ensure that the client in question perfectly understands the information provided which may thus affect their future decision-making regarding their condition. We are provided with a scenario involving Katherine who has a phobia for fire. In this essay, we will describe the most appropriate model of communication for the client. Additionally, we discuss how to build a rapport with Katherine and some of the strategies that would facilitate effective communication and how to implement these strategies. The essay further talks about barriers to effective communication and how to overcome the barriers.
A model of communication may be described as the process by which information is channeled from the sender to the receiver through a medium. The most appropriate model of communication for Katherine scenario would be an interactive model of communication. In interactive model, communication is considered to be a two-way traffic where both the speaker and the listener are involved in the communication and feedback is sent or received whether verbal or non-verbal (McCabe & Timmins, 2013). It is characterized by facial expressions, accents, gestures, voice quality, and intonation among others. This model is appropriate because Katherine’s scenario requires a one-on-one conversation to help her overcome her phobia for fire.
Before commencing the counseling process, it would be important to build a rapport with Katherine. As a counselor, it would be important if I could make a positive connection with the client. Positive connections have numerous benefits that include client experience among others. There are several ways of building a rapport with a client, some of which we will discuss in the following paragraphs.
First of all, it would be important to introduce myself to Katherine. An introduction enables one to declare their role in the healthcare setting thus building a positive counselor-client relationship. It also gives the client the feeling that you really want them to know you, understand your role and believe that you intend to care for them (Bramhall, 2014). Secondly, it is important to listen to the client. Listening is an indication of assessment and understanding. Listening is an essential skill as it helps the counselor to understand what actually is in the mind of their client.
Communication Strategies
Another way of building a rapport is by validating the desires, fears, and concerns of the client. The ability of a counselor to validate what Katherine says will give her the confidence that I understand her concerns. Additionally, by validating her feelings, I create possibilities of learning more about her experience which can help in improving care (Bramhall, 2014). It is additionally important, to be honest with the client and stay true to my words.
An effective counselor-client communication aimed at building trust and a common sense of responsibility for the care of the client has become increasingly important for the counselors in the healthcare setting. Communication that is focused on patient engagement has numerous benefits that include trust, increased satisfaction from the client, and improved quality of care (McCabe & Timmins, 2013). Effective communication strategies are therefore important in ensuring the above benefits are realized. Some of the communication strategies that I can apply in Katherine’s scenario are as follows.
Empathic listening according to several pieces of research is very important in communication. Through empathy, I will try to put myself in Katherine’s situation. The fact that her very close friend experienced a fire incident and narrated the whole experience to her has made her fire-phobic. This strategy will, therefore, help to connect with Katherine at a personal level and try to understand her situation. Studies reveal that clients who are treated with empathy participate more in their care thus leading to better outcomes (Davis, 2014). Katherine has had a difficult encounter with fire that led to her fiancé kicking her out. As a counselor, I can employ empathy in my interaction with her to diffuse the difficult encounter. Riley (2015) confirms that around 70% of clients with similar encounters who have treated by empathy have been able to turn these difficult encounters into success.
The best way to implement this strategy is by actively and openly listening to the client. I have to avoid tones and voices that may seem threatening and always employ an eye contact (Davis, 2014). Additionally, it is important that I don’t judge Katherine but accept her for her situation. Finally, it is imperative that I acknowledge the client’s feelings before I can reflect on my understanding of the situation.
This is another key communication strategy that helps in fostering a two-way communication between the client and the counselor. As a counselor in charge of counseling Katherine, I have to explain the situation to her as I understand it in addition to providing her with all the useful information that can help her understand that her situation can be solved. It is important to answer all her questions and confirm that she has actually understood all my information (Casey & Wallis, 2011). This involves assuring her that she will get over her phobia for fire and that all will be well.
Barriers to Effective communication
This strategy can be implemented by engaging the client in a discussion regarding possible solutions to the issue (Bramhall, 2014). One of the possible solutions could include practicing relaxation techniques in the event of a fire. Several pieces of research have revealed that focusing inwards and breathe control, instead of focusing on the fearful thoughts of fire can help in coping with pyro-phobia (Bramhall, 2014). Another possible solution would be advising Katherine to challenge her irrational thoughts because they are based on fear and not facts. Another way of implementing this strategy is by allowing the client to contribute towards the outcome. Finally, it is important that we reach an agreement on how to handle the situation in case the proposed solutions do not work.
A counselor with good communication skills is able to listen to their client, understand their situation and respond to all their questions in a manner the client can understand. Communication is sometimes complicated leading to an exchange of incorrect messages. Poor communication jeopardizes quality care and slows the healing process (Kourkouta & Papathanasiou, 2014). There are several barriers to effective communication some of which we will discuss in the following paragraphs.
The first barrier to effective communication is a language barrier. The inability of a client or the counselor to understand a particular language can lead to misunderstanding and misinformation (Riley, 2015). There are certain idioms that may carry a meaning which does not exist in other languages thus leading to misinformation. Mispronunciation of words may also lead to the conveyance of the wrong meaning of terms. It is therefore important to learn about other languages or refer the client to another counselor who speaks the same language as them.
Secondly, ethnic barriers prevent effective communication between the client and the counselor. Differences in ethnic backgrounds can lead to ineffective communication where societal expectations differ thus interfering with the quality of care (Ting-Toomey, 2012). For example, there are gestures and facial expectations that may mean one thing in a particular culture and a totally different thing in another culture (Taylor, Nicolle & Maguire, 2013). As a counselor, it is important to learn about different cultures to address this barrier.
It is the ethical responsibility to keep their conversation with a client private and confidential to establish trust. All the records of the counseling process must be secured is a safe place with limited access. Additionally, it is important to seek the client’s consent before implementing any intervention.
Another health professional that I can communicate to regarding Katherine’s condition is a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist may employ several techniques to help the client combat her fear of fire. Some of these techniques may include exposure therapy where the client is shown fires in order of increasing sizes. Another technique is relaxation techniques by applying mental tricks that help the patient to relax (Fortinash & Worret, 2014). Medication such as anti-anxiety medication may also be recommended but care must be taken because some medications may carry side effects (Sperry, 2011).
While communicating with the psychiatrist, I will inform him/her about all the details of Katherine’s condition including her reaction to the presence of a fire and how normally she is distracted by a stove. Additionally, I would share with the psychiatrist my assessment of Katherine’s condition and the findings that I have made (Foronda, MacWilliams & McArthur, 2016). I must, however, realize that it is my ethical responsibility to respect her confidentiality and therefore, any information that she had told me in confidence must never be revealed to anyone else.
Conclusion
Effective communication between the counselor and the client in the healthcare setting ensures that a quality care is delivered. Effective communication improves client satisfaction and builds trust. The counselor must, therefore, practice good communication skills and apply the most appropriate communication strategies to ensure that the client is satisfied with the services offered. Some of these strategies are empathic listening and client education. It is, however, important to note that once in a while, there will be a break down in information due to communication barriers. The barriers to effective communication include language and ethnic barriers. The counselor should find an appropriate way of responding to these barriers and maintaining the ethical standards at the same time.
References
Bramhall, E. (2014). Effective communication skills in nursing practice. Nursing Standard (2014+), 29(14), 53.
Casey, A., & Wallis, A. (2011). Effective communication: principle of nursing practice E. Nursing Standard (through 2013), 25(32), 35.
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Davis, A. (2014). Core Communication Competencies in.
Foronda, C., MacWilliams, B., & McArthur, E. (2016). Interprofessional communication in healthcare: An integrative review. Nurse education in practice, 19, 36-40.
Fortinash, K. M., & Worret, P. A. H. (2014). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kourkouta, L., & Papathanasiou, I. V. (2014). Communication in nursing practice. Materia socio-medica, 26(1), 65.
McCabe, C., & Timmins, F. (2013). Communication skills for nursing practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Riley, J. B. (2015). Communication in nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Sperry, L. (2011). Core competencies in counseling and psychotherapy: Becoming a highly competent and effective therapist. Routledge.
Taylor, S. P., Nicolle, C., & Maguire, M. (2013). Cross-cultural communication barriers in health care. Nursing Standard (through 2013), 27(31), 35.
Ting-Toomey, S. (2012). Communicating across cultures. Guilford Press.
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