1. Effective Communication and Team Building
Chapter 12
Effective Communication and Team Building

2. Effective Communication and Team Building
Identify effective ways of communicating with other health care workers
Describe an assertive communication style
Apply effective communication skills in common nursing activities
Identify different types of groups and group process
Analyze group member roles
Discuss team building and group problem solving

4. Basic Principles of Effective Communication
Interaction between two people
Make your message clear
Use simple, precise words
Encourage receiver to use feedback
Nonverbal reaction communicates message
Reputation and credibility make difference
Acknowledge feelings of others

5. Communication in the Workplace
What are principles and the health care team?
Sharing information with members of health care team requires different approaches
Delegation
Clarification
Reevaluation
Coordination

6. How Can I Communicate Effectively with My Supervisor?
Keep your supervisor informed
Focus on problem solving
Show your sense of responsibility
Avoid blaming others
Don’t respond with anger
To present new idea, give your supervisor a written proposal
Accept feedback
Never go above or around your supervisor

7. How Can I Communicate Effectively with Other Nursing Personnel?
Professional nurses should view themselves as equals in their interactions with members of other health care disciplines
Your approach to communication should be a lateral one, even with physicians

8. NCLEX QUESTION
Dr. Jones asks you to give a medication to one of his clients, and you know the client is allergic to it. When you point this out, Dr. Jones says, “Give the medication or I’ll report this to your supervisor.” What is the best assertive response?
a. Agree to give the medication and hope no one finds out.
b. Say “I won’t give the medication, and I don’t care who you talk to about it.”
c. Walk away and ignore him.
d. Say “Perhaps you and I could talk this over with my supervisor together.”

9. RATIONALE
Dr. Jones asks you to give a medication to one of his clients, and you know the client is allergic to it. When you point this out, Dr. Jones says, “Give the medication or I’ll report this to your supervisor.” What is the best assertive response?
a. Agree to give the medication and hope no one finds out.
b. Say “I won’t give the medication, and I don’t care who you talk to about it.”
c. Walk away and ignore him.
d. Say “Perhaps you and I could talk this over with my supervisor together.”

10. RATIONALE
D. As nurses gain experience, their judgment improves and they are able to recognize ways to communicate needs and feelings, with the goal of improving the processes and procedures used in the work setting. The client’s safety always comes first.
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11. How Can I Communicate Effectively with Patient Care Assistants?
Get their full attention
Give clear, simple, step-by-step instructions
Ask for feedback to verify they heard you correctly
Be sure to follow up
Provide direction without being too harsh

12. What Does My Image Communicate to Others?
Communication enhanced by your credibility
Good personal hygiene
Know your particular kind of nursing thoroughly
Flexibility is necessary for effective communication
Be pleasant to be around

13. How Do Gender Differences Influence Communication Styles?
Women
See big picture
More comfortable asking questions
Use softer, quieter approach
Less competitive
Less aggressive in asking direct questions
Men
More logical and direct
Ask fewer questions
More aggressive and assertive
More team oriented

14. What Should I Know about the “Grapevine”?
It flourishes in all settings
When in doubt, check facts out!
How to control it
Provide factual information
Communicate face-to-face
Don’t spread rumors
Hold a meeting to provide information and answer questions
Make what is put in writing is clear

15. How Can I Deal with Cultural Diversity at Work?
Be aware of stereotypes
Communication goes through many filters
culture, sex, education level, age, experience
To interact effectively, we need to speak clearly, avoiding use of slang
Use skills of co-workers to translate or interpret
Respect and empathize with others

16. BAD HANDWRITING

17. How Can I Communicate Effectively in Writing?
Upward communication needs to be formal
Don’t send without careful proofreading
Organize your thoughts, Be clear and concise
Keep It Short and Simple (KISS) Principle
How well you write strongly influences how you are evaluated

18. How Can I Learn to Speak Effectively?
Develop positive attitude
PRACTICE makes PERFECT!
Analyze your audience
Do your homework
Plan presentation
Add spice to presentation
Create cheat sheets
Become familiar with room and equipment
Make eye contact!

20. What Listening Skills Do I Need to Develop? (cont’d)
Make sure you can hear what’s being said
Focus your attention on what’s being said
Recognize and control your emotional response
Listen and accept other person’s needs and feelings
Pay attention to nonverbal communication
Fight off distractions

21. What Listening Skills Do I Need to Develop? (cont’d)
Take notes
Let the speaker tell whole story
React to message, not person
Respond positively to feelings being communicated
Allow yourself to hear all sides of issue

22. How Can I Use Nonverbal Communication Effectively?
Make eye contact with person
Stand up straight, shoulders back
Use forceful voice without pauses to suggest confidence
Watch for distracting behaviors

23. How Can I Communicate Effectively by Using Technology?
When you have business cards printed, include address and fax number
Do not send emotional outbursts in
Learn to use basic computer software 
Send handwritten notes

24. Dysfunctional Group Personalities?
Self-servers
Rules don’t apply to them
Show up late
Contribute very little
Motor mouths
Talk just to hear themselves
Always interrupt
Mouse
Fearful of voicing opinion
Takes no risks, no responsibilities
Critical conservative
Criticize any idea that is not their own
Obsessively negative

25. How Can You Improve Communications in Group Meetings?
Come prepared
Listen—be open to other viewpoints
Keep on track—don’t visit or chit-chat
Present your ideas or opinions—ask other members for theirs
State disagreements—be able to back them up
Clarify when needed—don’t assume

26. Team Building Group of individuals working as a team
Right mix of three attributes describe complementary and functional teams
Interpersonal skills
Problem-solving and decision-making skills
Technical or functional expertise
Working together toward some meaningful end

27. Group Process Example:
In considering the overall task of the team, what issues should be considered in the care of the client?
Nurses as individuals and as team members are advocates of the client with a focus on the best and safest delivery of quality health care.

28. Assertive Styles of Communication
Passive or avoidant
Lets others push him around
*****Assertive *******
A person stands up for herself in a way that doesn’t violate the basic rights of another person
Aggressive
Person puts his or her own needs, rights, and feelings first and communicates that in an angry, dominating way

29. Why Aren’t Nurses More Assertive?
Some have hard time believing in their own rights, feelings, or needs
Experiences or comments may reinforce those negative messages about self-worth
May be afraid of repercussions of assertive communication
Assertiveness takes self-awareness and practice

30. What Are My Basic Rights as a Person and as a Nurse?
As an adult human being, you have some legitimate rights
When nurses consider rights, responsibilities must also be included
Acquiring them and holding them are your responsibility

31. How Can I Begin to Practice Assertive Communication?
Changing one’s behavior requires conscious decision
Practice being assertive by yourself at first
Role-play with friend first
Pay attention to how you feel
Ask for feedback and evaluate your progress

32. What Are the Components of Assertive Communication?
STRATEGY 1
I think . . .
I feel . . .
I want . . .
STRATEGY 2
I feel about because . . .
You must be willing to change and compromise

33. When To Use Assertive Communication
Communicating expectations
Saying No
Accepting criticism
Accepting compliments
Giving criticism
Providing feedback
Asking for help

34. When To Use Assertive Communication
You need to evaluate how your assertive communication feels to you, and you need to seek feedback from other people
You need to know whether people perceive you as aggressive rather than assertive
Find workable solution
There are some situations in which you must simply follow orders

35. IF YOU CAN LAUGH TOGETHER;
YOU CAN WORK TOGETHER