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Topic 1-2
Communication Skills

If you were to try to explain the process of human interaction, you might define it as a huge and very complex communication system. Nevertheless, it is essential that you develop and maintain an understanding of the methods and skills of communication in order to meet the needs of the patient. The quality of care you can provide is, in many ways, dependent on the quality of communication that exists between you and your patient. Through your direct contact, the patient must perceive your intentions of support and your positive expectations. You must accurately assess the patient's physical and emotional symptoms. Communication has only taken place if the message being sent was accurately received.

After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify purposes of human communication.
• Identify components of the human communication system.
• Identify methods of verbal and nonverbal communication.
• Recognize appropriate techniques of communication with patients.
• Recognize appropriate techniques of interviewing patients.
• Define and identify critical elements of therapeutic communication.
• Identify nursing interventions needed to communicate with the patient who is blind, deaf, or speaks a foreign language.

Select a Lesson:

	Purposes and Components of Human Communication
	Communicating with Patients and Families
	Theraputic Communication
	Patients with Special Communication Needs

When communicating with patients, each Practical Nurse has to find the ways that are the most effective for the people and circumstances concerned. If the Practical Nurse tries to express care and concern for the patient and can communicate well verbally and nonverbally, the nurse-patient relationship will thrive.

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