Communication in nursing is important for improving patient safety by reducing the risk of medical errors. Effective communication in nursing can also improve nursing teamwork, patient outcomes and patient education. There are many communication skills, including active listening, nonverbal communication cues, written communication and emotional intelligence.
According to one study, 70% to 80% of healthcare mistakes are the result of poor communication. It’s one reason why the American Nurses Association (ANA) emphasizes the importance of effective and clear communication in nursing, along with teamwork, collaboration and a supportive working environment.
Nursing education is essential to developing these skills. In Averett University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, you learn to be a skilled clinician and communicator as you prepare for your nursing career.
In the ABSN program, you practice your communication skills before applying them to clinical settings. For example, during nursing simulation labs, you’ll work in small groups, applying the nursing process to develop appropriate responses to various patient care scenarios. These labs are excellent opportunities to practice communication skills with the other members of your cohort.
As you look ahead to your nursing career, it’s a good idea to understand why communication skills in nursing are so important, which specific skills constitute good communication and how you can effectively use communication techniques.
Why Good Communication is Vital in Nursing
Prioritizing patient safety is one of the top reasons why communication skills are essential for all nurses. Each year in the U.S., about 400,000 inpatients suffer from harm due to preventable medical mistakes, and more than 200,000 patient deaths are attributable to mistakes made in healthcare.
These medical mistakes don’t only affect patients and their families. Nurses who were involved may experience “profound psychological effects,” including depression and suicidal ideation as a result, not to mention the stress caused by the threat of malpractice lawsuits.
One of the top strategies for reducing medical errors is to prioritize clear communication. With good communication, all individuals involved in a patient’s care can fully understand the care plan and address potential issues before they become serious.
Clear communication is particularly essential during patient handoffs for shift changes, when clarifying provider orders and when coordinating care among different healthcare professionals.
Other reasons why communication in nursing is important include:
- Building trust between providers and patients
- Contributing to the efficient operation of the nursing unit
- Delivering actionable and clearly understood patient education
- Improving patient outcomes
- Providing effective advocacy for nurses and patients
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Essential Communication Skills in Nursing
What are nurse communication skills, exactly? There are multiple communication skills that you can work on improving, such as active listening and nonverbal communication.
Active Listening
It’s possible to sit through a whole conversation and realize you recall little of what was being said. This is passive listening, and it doesn’t allow for information processing or much memory retention.
In contrast, active listening involves staying engaged in the conversation. To be an active listener, you’ll need to pay attention to what is said, process the information and consider how it might be applied. An active listener stays alert, asks questions when needed and sometimes rephrases information in their own words to ensure comprehension.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication involves spoken language. As a nurse, the conversations you have with your patients are likely to be different than those with fellow nurses and providers. It’s important to adjust your verbal communication to suit your audience. For instance, don’t use nursing slang with your patients. Instead, explain medical concepts in clear, simple terms.
Nonverbal Communication
Nurses should work on improving their receptive and expressive nonverbal communication skills. Receptive language refers to the ability to understand language, whereas expressive language refers to the ability to use language actively.
To improve your nonverbal communication, you should focus on observing and interpreting nonverbal communication cues when interacting with patients, as well as using nonverbal communication effectively yourself. For example, use body language and facial expressions that indicate you are engaged, nonjudgmental and compassionate.
Written Communication
If you’re taking notes by hand, always be sure to write legibly. Much of your written communication will likely be digital, however. Always double-check information in patients’ charts to ensure you typed it correctly.
During your nursing career, you may encounter questionable written or typed information. For example, a physician may have prescribed a medication for a patient that you feel might not be appropriate, or perhaps the dosage seems incorrect.
Don’t assume that something must be appropriate and correct just because it’s written in a patient’s records. Instead, proactively seek clarification and raise your concerns. This is one way in which communication skills support patient advocacy.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) isn’t strictly a communication skill, but it is essential for good communication. EI skills include empathy, compassion and interpersonal skills. These are necessary for developing a strong rapport with those whom you are conversing with.
How Effective Communication in Nursing Enhances Teamwork
According to the ANA, quality patient care depends upon a “collaborative, cohesive nursing team.” Communication in nursing enhances teamwork by reducing the risk of misunderstandings while encouraging collaboration within this high-pressure environment.
Communication is essential for building trust among providers and coordinating care. It also helps resolve conflicts, enabling members of the nursing team to respectfully voice their perspectives on various aspects of patient care.
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Nurse Communication Techniques You Can Practice
As a nurse, you’ll quickly learn that certain communication techniques work best for certain situations. For example, some patients may seem reluctant to share their symptoms or talk about what they’re struggling with.
In this situation, you can make polite observations related to the patient’s medical issues. You might say, for instance, something like, “You seem to be a little stressed out.” This can prompt a patient to open up about their mental health struggles.
Other nurse communication techniques you can practice include:
- Open-ended questions: Always try to ask open-ended questions, rather than yes-or-no questions, whenever possible. These encourage patients to open up about what they’ve experienced and noticed.
- Teach-back technique: If you aren’t certain whether a patient actually understands the information you’ve provided, ask the patient to repeat what you’ve just told them, such as instructions for medications or wound care.
- Silence: Sometimes, an inexperienced nurse might try to fill every moment with verbal communication; however, silence is often an effective communication tool. Look for moments to pause in reflection, allowing your patient some time to process the information, ask questions and, in general, lead the conversation.
You will have the chance to practice these techniques throughout Averett’s ABSN program. Our nursing labs and clinical rotations, in particular, help facilitate teamwork and communication.
During simulation labs, students must work together to treat computerized manikins and learn how to communicate with one another in a simulated environment. These experiences serve as a training ground for clinical rotations, where students experience working in real healthcare facilities, providing direct patient care under supervision.
Pursue a Future in Nursing at Averett University
Averett University’s ABSN program in Virginia educates aspiring nurses who aim to serve as leaders in the healthcare field. Our nursing curriculum is infused with our core values, including integrity, diversity and innovation.
Through online coursework, hands-on nursing labs and clinical rotations, our ABSN program focuses on developing the essential clinical and communication skills that nurses need in today’s healthcare landscape. Our focus on quality education allowed our nursing class of 2023 to achieve a first-time NCLEX pass rate of 96.61%, which was above the national average of 90.71% for that year.
If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits from an accredited institution, you may be eligible to apply to our ABSN program. Prepare to earn your nursing degree in as few as 16 months upon successful completion of any needed prerequisites.
Contact our admissions advisors today to learn if our ABSN program in Norfolk is the right fit for you.