5 Helpful Tips to Improve Communication with Your Coworkers As a nurse, you have probably noticed a lack of communication somewhere in your workplace. It is a common issue in many places of employment, but can be particularly problematic in healthcare. There are ways to close the gap when it comes to communication, and it is important to do so. The patients are counting on all of you having it together. Be Appropriately Assertive To be heard in the workplace, it takes a little bit of work. As a nurse, you spend 75 percent of your day communicating with others. You should be able to be selfconfident and assertive in your responses to coworker's questions. For example, if you are busy, and someone asks you for a favor, how would you respond? Whether you get upset, say yes even though you do not want to, or kindly refuse, they all have their repercussions. Refusing with the exact reason that you cannot help them out is the best way to go. Any other way and you are either deflating your self-esteem or causing others to resent you. Use Communication Skills Take a look at your communication skills and see what you can do better. Here are a couple of things to consider: ● How do you start conversations and engage with others? ● Do you express your feelings long-windedly or clearly and concise? ● How do you react to conflict? ● Is it hard or easy to say no to others? There are many more things to consider, but you can expand on these ideas to identify where you need some work. Related : Legitimate Jobs for Nurses Working from Home Be Honest Honesty is the best policy when it comes to communicating with your coworkers. Coworker conflict can affect your patients, so it really is best to make sure that you are saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Be aware of how your actions can be interpreted by not just your coworkers, but your patients as well. Also, do not
make promises that you cannot keep. Think about how it will end up if you are unable to keep your promise. You want to avoid that as much as possible. Best-Case Scenario Envision the best case scenario. Think of situations that are hard for you to communicate in. Visualize how you would like to respond, and this can help you to gain confidence in your communication. Affirm your progress and tell yourself that you are communicating with ease. This trick is used by public speakers and others dealing with communication issues. Do not be hard on yourself if the situation goes wrong. You cannot predict other people's reactions, and you can only do your best. No one is perfect, and things just happen. Determine Environment Figure out who you communicate with the most in your workplace. Do you try to avoid interacting with certain people? Some people are going to be easier to talk with that others. Who do you avoid talking with or get frustrated by? All of these questions can help you to improve communication around the workplace. Communicating with your coworkers as a nurse is one of the most important things you have to do. Whether it be with physicians or other nurses, how you act and react has a significant impact on your relationships with the people around you. Related : Leading Licensed Vocational Nurse Frances I. Simpson to be Published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare as New Member of the International Nurses Association