Communication Skills for Adult Nurses

Book excerpt: "This book is a real gem - useful not only for nurses, but for all healthcare professionals, students and educators wanting to develop their communication skills. One is reminded that it is not always about 'what' is said, but 'how' it is said. This book will be a great resource for those advocating interprofessional working, while keeping the patient's perspective in the reader's mind throughout." Dr Susanne Lindqvist, Senior Lecturer in Interprofessional Education, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. "This book is slim line and concise but covers a lot of vital points that all nurses and students of nursing should be aware of. It is well laid out with activities, case studies and vignettes to illustrate key issues... I thoroughly recommend this book to nursing students and those who work with people in any context." Jo Parham, third year adult nursing student at the University of the West of England. "From a Nursing Student perspective this book is excellent. It deals with every aspect of communication from the fundamental skills, through the use of technology, challenging situations, communication in teams, to the legal and ethical aspects of communication." Conor Hamilton, Nursing student. Queens University, Belfast. An essential guide for all nurses!! With an emphasis on practical application, this lively and accessible guide will help nurses to hone and develop their communication skills. Full of examples from both a patient and a nurse perspective, the book covers: Barriers to communication Communication in teams The patient's perspective Making good use of email and phone Managing difficult conversations How good communication underpins the essence of care Examples of both good and poor practice, taken from the real-life experiences of the authors, are included to encourage reflection and integration of theory and practice. The book includes common scenarios, activity points and suggestions for practice, to give nurses the tools to continue to develop and apply effective communication skills. Communication Skills for Adult Nurses will support both student nurses learning their craft and also offer a suitable handy reference for qualified nurses undertaking continuing professional development, or acting as mentors. Contributors: Bernard Anderson, Jayne Crow, Graham Harris, Vivian Jellis, Mary Northrop, Paula Sobiechowska, Jill Toocaram