Although communication is an important part of our daily lives, it is vital in the health care industry that effective communication between the provider and the patient is established in order for the relationship to be successful. Failure to communicate effectively using therapeutic techniques can cause high risk of providing poor health care to the patient.
Listening techniques are natural and
realistic but it will take some time to be become skillful. In the health care
setting the communication technique such as the quality of listening provides
both therapeutic value in the patient and the provider.
What
is the Art of Listening in Communication?
As
the art of listening can be defined as becoming a listening presences in
others, it also a way of opening people up to knowledge and understanding. In
the health care profession there should certain qualities and attributes one
should process. Professional tones of voice, along with professional manners
skills are important.
However,
what is often overlooked and is considered the most important is the art of
listening. As listening demonstrates and interest in what the patient is saying
it also provides assurance in the capabilities of the provider to the patient.
A patient may feel a sense of ease after a pleasant exchange of communication
between the provider and the patient.
The
first person listens and the second person responds or continues to listen. The
quality of our listening can make difference in any conversation it can control
perception and filter out curiosities in one another. Kay Lindahl (2003),
shares that “when we understand the power of sacred listening, we become aware
that it is a key to communication in our global community”. The therapeutic of
one helping someone else through engaging in listening increases each
individual freedom to express themselves resulting in far more that could ever
be imagined.
Values
of active listening
Listening
is part of who we are and what are to become. Active listening is a technique
that is familiar in health care setting (Van Servellen, 2009). There are many barriers that can affect
listening skills in the settings. Language barriers that are present many cases
may challenge the health care provider.
This barrier can affect the provider and patient relationship.
In
using listening skills as a technique the health care professional practices
listening with empathy. Another example would be lack of trust, but over time
and with the use of therapeutic communication skills, the patient’s trust can
be built.
When
the health care provider is using these techniques to build on therapeutic value
that an individual can get from helping another brings a change or in conflict
a resolution. There is a perception made by the provider that the patient will
disclose even more to the not only help provider but the patient. True
listening skills are developed over time and the art of listening is not a
declaring that every problem or situation will be resolved rather by using art
of listening as a therapeutic method focuses the attention on the words and the
non verbal communication of the patient in order to walk with them in the
process of healing.
What
is empathy Listening?
According
to the dictionary, Empathy is defined by the ability of an individual to
understand another’s situation, feelings, and motives. In other words, being
moved by another’s person’s circumstances. In the health care setting it is
believed that the patient wants the provider to practice empathy. To have to
ability to be moved by someone’s experience or circumstances will increase the
leaning and validate with the patient is feeling.
Empathy
listening is often spoken of as
a character attribute that people have to varying degrees. The role of
listening with empathy means that there is an acknowledgement and a mutual
understanding between individuals. One important characteristic of empathy
listening is the ability to listen so others will talk. Be receptive to other
person communication towards you.
Using
listening as a therapeutic technique the patient is heard in a non-judgmental
way. It allow for the patient to actively participant in his or her own
health care (Banar, M., 2001). When an individual feels as though they are being
understood without judgment an emotional burden can be lifted, stress deceases,
and clarity increased. Listening to comfort someone who is going through
sadness or grief are approached through empathy listening (Miller, J.,
2003). The provider in the
therapeutic setting with the patient will provide exactly what is necessary for
the patient without feeling any regret, or difficult emotions.
However,
using the art of listening as a way to sympathize with someone takes on an
entirely different meaning. In the
health care setting the provider uses art of listening emphatically. Whereas, when
you sympathize with someone, you
have feelings for that person or situation, but you don’t necessarily feel her
feelings. Sympathy can also
take the form of support or allegiance with respect to a condition or
cause, but not in any type of individualized comparison to the actual event. Although there is sense of concern as
well compassion, you are not putting yourself in their place.
Techniques
in Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic
listening in a valuable tool in communicating: it builds trust along with provider
rapport with the patient
(Rosenberg, S, 2011).
Therapeutic Listening utilizes other areas in describing the full scope
of the art of listening. Rather than making any type of assumptions, the
provider, however facilitates by listening with therapeutic expression.
Techniques that help in specifying some other event could include the patient
engaging in daily activities and other therapeutic activities for some analyses
purpose. These might include if the provider want to help the patient identify with
some situation that is not easily discussed by the patient. These types of programs include
listening for reflection, which consist of a deeper understanding of what is
going on with the patient. This
technique of Listening for reflection helps not only the provider but also the
patient. Reflective listening is
often used when you are trying the deal with a situation. When the provider
through listening uses this technique it helps the patient gain their own
insight and clarify their own thoughts in regards to the situation from their situation.
Consequently,
the patient grows by accesses their problem solving skills that is found
somewhere all of us. Some of the common principles in using this therapeutic
technique are (1) do more listening than talking; (2) respond to what the
patient is saying and restate with clarity so the person will that provider is
listening (Rosenberg, S, 2008). This will help the patient gain trust, as he is
motivated to keep talking. This are all positive patterns of listening provide
successful outcomes in using the art of listening as therapeutic technique.
Although
the provider wants positive from the patient through with these therapeutic
techniques, it can become challenge when the provided uses negative approaches
to communicate with the patient. Not listening to the patient’s concerns,
making assumptions about the patient problem, and more importantly are talking
more than the patient about their situation. These are all approaches that
should not be used as a technique.
Most
patients become agitated and, “guess what?” no problem never the patient or the
provider benefited from that encounter.
As Dr. Linda Lee (2009) states in her article, “In listening to our patient, we learn invaluable lessons from those
making their journey ahead of us.”
Failure a apply techniques as part of listening could cause poor relations with
the patient and just infuse a negative outcome in the process of establishing
trust in the patient as well as with the provider. The art of listening as a
therapeutic technique, employs the not only skills of the provider but the
actions of the patient over time.
Reference:
Van Servellen, Gwen (2009). Communication Skills for the Health Care
Professional: Concepts, Practice, and Evidence (2nd ed).
Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett.
Miller, James E. (2003). The Art of Listening in a Healing Way. Fort Wayne, Indiana: Willowgreen
Publishing.
Kasperek, L. (1997). Clinical. Non-verbal communication: The importance
of Listening. British Journal of Nursing. Mar. 13-26, 6(5), 275-9
Lee, Linda, L.W. (2009). On Listening: The left atrium. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 179 (6) 562-563
Rosenberg, S. (2008). Therapeutic communication in the clinical
setting: Natural and applied sciences. Retrieved April 20, 2012 http://ctl.laguardia.edu/journal/v3/pdf/Rosenberg.pdf
Banar, M. (2011). Communication
Techniques. The Importance of
therapeutic communication in healthcare.
Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/525095-the-importance-of-therapeutic-communication-in-healthcare
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