48 Unit 2 | Psycho-Social-Cultural Assessment of the Child and the Family
● Use careful, nonjudgmental statements. ● Be aware and considerate of generational, cultural, and other differences. ● Incorporate active listening skills. ● Use silence, empathy, respect, genuineness, and trust as nurs- ing interventions. ● Follow the established policies and procedures the hospital has in place for communication with nontraditional and non- custodial parents. ● Remember to observe and record nonverbal communica- tion factors, such as tone of voice, body language, and facial expression. Be aware of your own nonverbal communication factors, and make sure you are not communicating unintended messages. ● Allow family members to voice their understanding of the current situation. ● Clarify or provide teaching points to decrease misunderstandings. Communicating With Children Even though most communication will take place between health-care practitioners and parents, the child cannot and should not be excluded. Child health decision making is a result of family health-care decision making. The parents, health-care practitioner, and nurse should collaboratively decide who will speak to the child about the health-care issue —the practitioner, the caregiver, or a combination of the two. When communicat- ing with the pediatric client: ● Incorporate active communication strategies. ● Incorporate an understanding of growth and development. ● Observe body language, facial expressions, and other nonver- bal gestures. ● Incorporate play into nursing assessments and interactions where appropriate (Fig. 3–12). ● Use special toys or games to assist with assessments/education (Fig. 3–13). ● Be aware of both verbal communication, including words, speech patterns, crying, and other cues, and nonverbal
FIGURE 313 Use special toys or games to assist with assessments.
communication, including gestures, body language, posture, and eye contact (see Chapter 7). ● Use visual forms of communication, including signs, photos, and illustrations, as appropriate. ● Incorporate play, which allows children to express feelings and concerns nonverbally (Fig. 3–14).
FIGURE 314 Play allows children to express feelings and concerns in a nonverbal manner.
FIGURE 312 Incorporate play into family assessments.
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