Nurse leadership is a skill involving the ability to communicate with doctors, nurses, and other health professionals in order to facilitate effective health delivery. Such communication often takes the form of presentations or meetings where decisions are made.
In order for nurse leaders to be successful, it is important that they develop certain skills that facilitate effective communication.
What are Communication Skills and Why are They Important?
Communication occurs when an individual conveys a message in an appropriate manner to a particular individual or group. For communication to be successful, the message must be correct and understood.
A nurse leader will often have to communicate with superiors, colleagues, and patients. Such communication might involve making requests, giving information, or offering support.
Nurses also have to communicate with other health professionals, like doctors, other nurses, and pharmacists. This is especially important when patients are admitted into hospitals or given certain treatments.
The Importance of Communication Skills for Nursing Admin Teams
Communication helps in developing partnerships and building relationships that are essential in the development of nursing teams and health delivery.
This is because communication allows individuals to understand one another and share ideas. If a leader and any subordinates fail to communicate well, it will affect their ability to work as a team.
Nurses who are effective communicators are also more likely to be perceived by others as knowledgeable professionals. This is because communication is an effective way for nurses to share their skills and knowledge with others.
When it comes to the administration team within hospitals and healthcare settings, it’s important to realize that learning these communication skills will need to be taught at a college level, UTA offers online courses for this.
How to Be a Consistent Listener in Your Communication Skills
Listening is crucial to the development of effective communication skills. It is important that nurses learn how to listen properly because the ability to listen effectively will aid nurses in making decisions and communicating their opinions.
Nurses ought to be conscious that when they are making a presentation, they should look engaged if they are listening attentively. Engaged listening involves maintaining eye contact and remaining still while someone is speaking, paying attention with empathy and an open mind. Nurses must understand that each listener has a choice of what they want to hear.
A nurse who doesn’t listen attentively can appear disinterested or oblivious to the speaker’s message, which could make others question their knowledge and experiences on a particular subject or matter.
How to Increase the Performance of Your Communication Skills
Listening to others with an open mind is one way of increasing the performance of your communication skills. This is because listening allows you to understand other people’s opinions and ideas, which may help you make better decisions.
Nurses can improve their performance by learning how to listen and understand others with empathy.
Empathy in this case means being able to consider what the speaker is saying without judging them, considering their thoughts and experiences as your own, and remaining attentive throughout the process.
