P ERSONALIZED T EACHING P LAN T OPIC : Family Dynamics and Communicating With Children and Families
Compare and Contrast: Effective Communication vs. Barriers to Communication D IRECTIONS • Divide students into pairs. • Assign half of the pairs the topic of Effective Communication Techniques and the other half the topic of Barriers to Effective Communication. • Ask each pair of students to create a list of characteristics associated with their assigned topic. T IPS After the students finish compiling their lists, bring the class back together and compile a table that features strategies a nurse can use to demonstrate effective techniques and noneffective barriers to effective communication. An example of a table of characteristics follows. Effective Communication Techniques Barriers to Effective Communication • Clear, concise language • Avoid euphemisms and distancing language (e.g., assigning gender) • Use written words at the level of the child or family, avoiding medical jargon • Stand with an open stance • Nod your head to indicate what was heard • Identify your role • Ensure privacy and establish an appropriate setting to communicate information • Provide anticipatory guidance • Communicate slowly, especially during an emergency • Sit down and face the caregivers at eye level • Allow time for questions • Avoid false hope • Allow for repetition to ensure understanding • Show empathy and sincerity • Using medical jargon or providing information above the level of the child or family • Lack of privacy • Crossing arms, tapping foot, or standing in the doorway • Encroaching on personal space or appearing distracted • Lack of proper introduction • Making promises about child’s condition • Ignoring family and psychosocial issues • Asking closed-ended questions • Making prejudices or preconceived messages about race, age, ethnicity, culture, gender, lifestyle, wealth, appearance, or status known • Showing disrespect by failing to include parents in plan of care or not allowing time to answer questions • Not meeting child’s developmental needs
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