Communication Barriers

In this booklet I will explain 6 of the barriers to effective communication that can occur in the Nursing home.

Health issues
When a patient is feeling ill most of the home worker may not be able to communicate as effectively as when the patient is feeling well. This can affect the service users.

Emotional barrier
As a human beings we all emotional difficulties sometimes and become upset. The patient may have a bad day and by the time that the nurse come and ask for something the patient could be aggressive or rude with the nurse and this can lead to misunderstanding.

Jargon
When a service provider uses technical language the service user may not understand. For example, the nurse might say that a patient needs bloods and an MRI scan. That can sound very alarming to someone who has been rushed into hospital. It will be much better if the nurse explains that they need to take some blood to do some test and then explain what’s MRI scan is so the patient will understand much better and do get scared for something that sound scary.

Culture differences
When a word have a same meaning in two different culture, communication can be difficult. For example, it is seen as polite and respectful to make eye contact when speaking to someone in western culture but on other culture, for example in East Asia, it can be seen as rude and defiant.

Slang
When a service user uses languages that not everyone uses like saying “they have a problem with their waterworks” this can mean a problem with a plumbing system but also means a problem with going to the toilet. Sometimes it may be appropriate to use slag with friends but in normal working area with colleagues or services users it’s important to avoid any language that can be misunderstood or misinterpreted or that might cause offence to a patient or any person.

Sensory Deprivation
When an individual cannot receive or pass on information because they have an impairment to one or more of their senses, most commonly a visual or earing disability. For example if a patient have cerebral palsy this could limit the patient to communicate verbally and to interpret other people’s non- verbal communication.

Reference

https://www.udemy.com/blog/barriers-to-effective-communication/

http://rcnpublishing.com/doi/pdfplus/10.7748/ns2013.04.27.31.35.e7040