Why is Communication in Nursing Important?

Communication is the transfer of information between or among people. The practice of nursing utilizes constant communication between the nurse and the patient, the patient’s family, the nurse’s co-workers, supervisors, and many others. Communication in this profession can be a complicated process, and the possibility of sending or receiving incorrect messages frequently exists. It is essential that we know the key components of the communication process, how to improve our skills, and the potential problems that exist with errors in communication.
3 Major Components for Successful Communication: A sender, a receiver, and a message. We frequently have a great deal of information to send to others in a short period of time. To do this effectively, we need to know that there are factors which could influence how our message is interpreted. We must consider the setting in which the communication occurs, the past experiences and personal perceptions of both the sender and receiver, the timing of the message, etc. Breakdown in communication can cause negative outcomes. We all know how important it is to give a thorough patient report to the oncoming nurse at shift change. In situations where this does not occur and important information is not conveyed, treatments, medications, etc. may be missed. For example, in one situation, an oncoming nurse was not informed that a patient had fallen on the previous shift. The nurse, therefore, did not know to assess the patient for injuries or other complications from the fall, or to initiate fall precautions. The patient fell once again and was injured. This possibly could have been prevented had the communication between the nurses been complete. We know that the trust of our patients and their families is an important part of