P1 – Explain the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in a health and social care setting.
Effective communication is a way to interact and give each other information without any misunderstanding or confusion. It’s a way of building relationships and trust between a professional and a service user.
Health and social care professionals have to communicate professionally to make sure that the service users have a clear understanding of what is being said and to make sure that the information being said meets the service user’s needs.
When professionals are communicating verbally they need to consider who their audience is that they are speaking to whether it’s formal to their service users or jargon to other professionals in the work place. If the professional is talking to another colleague they might use jargon. Jargon is basically abbreviations for common phrases in a workplace e.g. C.B.C means ‘Complete Blood Count’. Jargon is used because it is a quicker way of passing on important information. If the professional is talking to a service user then they will use formal language with a soft tone of voice. A soft tone of voice builds trust between the professional and the service user and shows they respect them too. If the service user doesn’t understand what they have been told by the professional it is clear that the message sent hasn’t been received by the service user.
Non-verbal communication is important when communicating with service users because it can show that you are a reflective listener. Being a reflective listener is basically repeating what the other person has said, by doing this it shows that you are actually listening to what the person is saying. You are reassuring them that you are listening by repeating. Non-verbal communication can also be used by touching. If the professional touches the service user when having a conversation whether it’s a pat on the shoulder or holding their hand it builds trust and a relationship between the two. It also gives the service user reassurance that the professional is there to listen and help with their needs.
When using written communication professionals need to consider dates and times when writing and filling in important documents. Dates and times are really important because they are used for evidence and help to keep log of events that have happened for example, if a patient is given drugs its needs to be logged down on case notes and a MAR sheet (Medication Administration Record) so that they are given the correct dosage of drugs at the correct time.
When service users have communication and language needs professionals need to consider the language they speak, if a service user is of a different culture and cannot speak English properly, professionals need to consider speaking clear and slowly so the service user can understand them. They also need to consider blind people, if a service user has a sight impairment then the professionals need to be careful and tell the service user exactly what is going on in detail so the service user understands what is happening. If the professional needs to speak to the service user then the professional should give them a slight tap or hand on the shoulder or arm to let them know they are around. If a service user has a hearing impairment and is fully or partially deaf, professionals need to consider using sign language or pictures to help the service users understand clearly.
