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Communication in Nursing and Healthcare
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Communication in Nursing and Healthcare
A Guide for Compassionate Practice

First Edition
Additional resources:


October 2016 | 192 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

Communication is an essential skill for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals when delivering care to patients and their families. With its unique and practical approach, this new textbook will support students throughout the three years of their degree programme and on into practice, focussing on how to develop person-centredness and compassionate and collaborative care.

Key features include:

* students' experiences and stories from service users and patients to help readers relate theory to practice

* reflective exercises to help students think critically about their communication skills

* learning objectives and chapter summaries for revision

* interactive activities directly linked to the Values Exchange Community website

 
About the Authors
 
Introduction
 
Part 1 Fundamentals of Communication for Compassionate Practice
 
1 Essential Values for Communication, Compassion and Collaborative Care
The importance of communication and remaining compassionate

 
Respect and dignity

 
The centrality and complexity of communication in the therapeutic relationship

 
 
2 Essential Communication Skills: Building Blocks for Good Communication
Non-verbal, verbal and written communication: listening, questioning, record keeping, electronic prescribing

 
Professional communication, professional identity, and social and professional media

 
The use of reflection on practice

 
 
3 The Role of Attachment Theory and Cognition in Influencing Behaviour
The role of cognition

 
Attachment theory

 
Understanding attachment, cognition and practice

 
 
4 Enabling Positive Health Behaviour
Changing patterns of ill health and health education

 
Motivational interviewing and health behaviour change

 
The role of emotional intelligence and mindfulness

 
 
Conclusion to Part 1
 
Part 2 Communication Skills in Practice
 
5 Communicating to Help Health Service Users Understand and Deal with their Condition
The importance of psychosocial care

 
Communicating with anxious or distressed patients

 
Communicating with those with long-term conditions to help change behaviour

 
 
6 Communication for Mental Health: Understanding the Effects of Stigma
What is stigma?

 
Avoiding stigmatising communication within general settings

 
Looking past diagnoses to achieve person-centred care within mental health services

 
 
7 Communicating with People with Cognitive Deficits
Communicating with people with intellectual disability

 
Communicating with people who have dementia

 
 
8 Communicating with Children, Young People and Families
Communicating within the context of the family

 
How development affects communication

 
Stereotyping young people

 
 
9 Communicating with Middle-aged and Older People
Features associated with ageing in contemporary society

 
Specific challenges in middle and older age

 
Overcoming stereotyping and stigma

 
 
10 Integrating Mindful Communication Skills for Complex Encounters
Working with distress and anger

 
Breaking bad news

 
Communicating with people with life-limiting and end-of-life conditions

 
 
Conclusion to Part 2
 
Part 3 Equipping for the Future: Theoretical and Ethical Issues
 
11 Communicating Authentically in Organisations
Organisations, culture, communication and leadership

 
The importance of self in leadership

 
Authentic self and authentic leadership

 
 
12 Maintaining Positive Values in Communication and Caring for Self and Others
The emotional challenges of transitioning to qualified nurse status

 
Sustaining and enhancing ethical and compassionate communication in difficult circumstances

 
Learning from the past

 
 
13 Communication Theory, Reflective and Ethical Practice in the ‘Swampy Lowlands’
The importance of communication theory

 
Communication, reflective and ethical practice

 
Communication theory that informs and enables reflection on ethical practice in healthcare

 
 
Conclusion to Part 3
 
Index

'Gault et al have grasped the nettle of the impact of burnout, desensitisation, Francis and Winterbourne View on healthcare and offer a comprehensive toolkit of skills to breathe the fresh air of compassionate communication back into practice. I heartily recommend this text to all healthcare students and seasoned professionals alike.' 

Karen Green
University of Wolverhampton, UK

‘Finally we have a book which comprehensively supports nursing students in gaining a sophisticated understanding of communication in healthcare. This book enables nurses to truly make a difference to the lives of healthcare users and will impact positively on lifelong professional working.’ 

Jacinta Kelly
Anglia Ruskin University, UK

'This book is a comprehensive, evidence-based, handbook for modern healthcare practitioners. Its practical approach ensures key skills are addressed. Informed by shared experiences of healthcare practice and authors' expertise, the reader is provided with an essential toolkit for developing a holistic, reflective, sensitive, value based approach to communicating in health care.

Fiona Timmins
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

'This is an excellent guide for students which demonstrates the important role of communication in delivering compassionate, dignified and respectful care.  It will support the student to develop from novice communicator to leaders in care.' 

 

Gayle Garland
University of Leeds, UK

'This book is an important resource for all those involved in the teaching of communication skills. Its approach incorporating theory along with exercises and nurse practice exemplars grabs the attention of nurses and teachers with a desire to want to learn more about how to be an effective compassionate communicator.'  

Bridie McCarthy
University College Cork, Ireland

'An admirably broad view of communication in health and social care linked to theory and topic areas such as long-term conditions, mental health and challenges such as dementia and learning disability. An accessible text relevant to a wide range of health, social and educative professionals.' 

Deborah Lewis
Birmingham City University, UK

This book is perfect for nursing students and one of the only ones that i have found which focuses on communication - it is fantastic to find a book with such detail rather then having to rely on short chapters in other books.

Mrs Claire Carkin
Healthcare, Nursing & Social Work, City College Norwich
September 9, 2019

This work has a wide ranging content of communication skills resources, from many different author perspectives.This allows the reader to dip into the chapters which fit appropriately to their role and working environment. For this reason it would be suitable for nurses studying at both pre and post registration level.It would serve as a useful revision text for anyone revisiting the principles of effective communication.

Mrs Lisa Jennison
Faculty of Health & Social Care, Hull University
November 15, 2016

This book offers support and guidance for not only students but anyone in healthcare. The structure and lay out of the book allows the reader to develop there understanding through the use of theory, exercises and examples. the book is interesting and through its structure and lay out keeps the read focused on the topic at hand.

Mrs zoe-louise smethurst
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Plymouth
November 20, 2016

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1


For instructors

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ISBN: 9781412962315
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