Importance of Healthcare Providers in Nonviolent Communication - Essay Sample

Introduction

The essay discusses the concept and importance of training healthcare workers on nonviolent communication. Ineffective communication affects the quality of health outcomes as a result of decreased collaboration among healthcare professionals. Nonviolent communication is the use of compassionate language, resulting in a positive social change (Nosek et al., 2014). Human experiences hinder effective communication; hence the need to train healthcare professionals in nonviolent communication to improve their relationships and the quality of services they provide to the clients. Nonviolent communication improves collaboration among healthcare providers, resulting in improved quality outcomes.

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Concept of Nonviolent Communication

Nonviolent communication is the process of sharing ideas that encourage a compassionate response that helps to manage emotions. It fosters empathy and manages issues of blaming each other. The concept of nonviolent communication is based on the theory that all human beings have universal needs and everyone achieves satisfactory feelings after meeting the needs (Nosek et al., 2014). Failure to meet the needs could lead to frustration and anger that would affect social relationships and the way people communicate. Therefore, nonviolent communication promotes empathy that helps to meet the needs of different people. The concept is applicable in various settings, including healthcare and all populations. For example, professionals apply the concept in primary and secondary settings to solve conflicts and promote partnership learning in higher learning institutions.

In the healthcare sector, healthcare managers use nonviolent to promote communication between the medical team and patients (Nosek et al., 2014). Examples of non-violent communication include using formal language to share information and ideas and showing empathy. During a physical examination, nurses and doctors should engage in therapeutic communication that does not signify any form of abuse or intrusion to the privacy of patients. Therefore, training healthcare professionals in nonviolent communication contributes to collaboration and patient outcomes.

Importance of Nonviolent Training to Healthcare Providers

In this regard, nonviolent training to healthcare providers is essential because it improves communication with patients. It equips healthcare providers with communication to work with neglected populations not many healthcare professionals consider. For example, healthcare providers will be interested to understand behavioral changes of young people and go beyond just treating but try to understand factors causing the changes. Social media has contributed to increased cases of psychological disorders because the internet exposes people to content that affects their well-being (Nosek et al., 2014). Some healthcare professionals are quick to condemn the acts of patients with different conditions without underlying factors, influencing their behavior and this contributes to communication breakdown. However, with the application of nonviolent communication skills, healthcare providers extend their services beyond treatment to build trust and friendship that would eventually contribute to improved patient outcomes. In this regard, nonviolent communication training helps healthcare providers provide better services by building trust.

Secondly, training healthcare professionals in nonviolent communication enables them to work with patients effectively. Nonviolent communication helps to work with patients from different backgrounds since it equips healthcare professionals with empathy. It is through empathy that healthcare providers engage in communication to understand emotional variations among their patients. Before commencing any treatment, doctors and nurses must understand the emotional stability of the patient and understand ways of communication that would not offend them. Effectiveness in communication begins with the ability to understand and engage the patient in the communication process (Nosek et al., 2014). For example, nonviolent communication builds a friendship with mentally unstable patients and this promotes the professional relationship. In this regard, nonviolent communication helps to manage a potential toxic relationship when patients transfer their frustrations to the medical team. Healthcare providers should understand ways of managing frustrations among patients and this enhances patient outcomes.

Furthermore, nonviolent communication helps to address issues related to people of color. Health disparity is one of the issues facing the healthcare department in the US. People of color have limited access to healthcare services compared with the whites. Some healthcare providers use a communication language that would demean their self-esteem, leading to poor relationships with patients. However, nonviolent communication skills contribute to equality by ensuring nurses and doctors use language that upholds the rights of all people regardless of their color (Lauricella, 2019). It is unethical to promote structural discrimination based on race or color. Also, the concept enhances communication by considering the cultures of other people. For example, the training improves how nurses and doctors communicate with patients from different cultural backgrounds without offending their knowledge. Therefore, nonviolent communication training equips healthcare providers with the information required to ensure equity in the healthcare sector.

Also, nonviolent communication training promotes religious and spiritual diversity in healthcare. In many cases, communication breakdown happens because of differences in religious and spiritual factors. Because healthcare providers have different perceptions and attitudes toward different religious organizations, it is essential to offer training to help in the communication by ensuring they diversify their cultural perceptions (Lauricella, 2019). When communicating, healthcare providers should ensure they use a language that represents the culture of the patient and respect their beliefs. In some religious backgrounds, women and men are not allowed to use some communication styles. Consequently, the healthcare team should not ignore the religious and spiritual beliefs of the patient as this would influence the patient-nurse relationship. As a result, training healthcare providers in nonviolent training promote religious and spiritual diversity that eventually influence healthcare outcome.

From a religious point of view, nonviolent communication training helps to humanize professional practice. Nonviolent communication training equips nurses and doctors with information and tools they can apply in their professional practice per the principles of Jesus Christ. They apply these tools and principles to overcome the challenges they encounter in their professional practice. Secondly, it promotes humanizing professional experience by challenging processes and activities healthcare providers take for granted. Medical personnel have the right to apply their skills and competencies to improve the health and well-being of all people (Latini, 2009). However, in some cases, they engage in unethical practices, such as discrimination that dehumanizes other patients and this is unprofessional. Therefore, training healthcare providers on nonviolent communication help to capture the emotions of different patients by taking into account factors, such as cultural and religious backgrounds that influence their well-being. Importantly, nurses and healthcare professionals must uphold spiritual and moral responsibilities, such as treating all people with dignity.

Conclusion

Nonviolent communication is the application of best practices in communication to attract a positive social response. Feelings and frustrations among individuals could lead to communication breakdown. However, nonviolent communication takes into account various factors, affecting the communication process. In the healthcare sector, the concept fosters professional humanization, enhances communication between patients and nurses, and improves healthcare outcomes. Importantly, it manages unstable emotional issues that would affect the communication process. Therefore, the practice improves professional practice it promotes equality and diversity by considering patients as important stakeholders in the communication process.

References

Latini, T. (2009). Nonviolent communication: A humanizing ecclesial and educational practice. JE & CB, 13(1), 19-31.

Lauricella, S. (2019). The Practice of Nonviolence: Teaching an Undergraduate Course in Nonviolent Communication. Journal of Communication Pedagogy, 2, 103-110.

Nosek, M., Gifford, E., & Kober, B. (2014). Nonviolent Communication (NVC) training increases empathy in baccalaureate nursing students: A mixed method study. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 4(10), 1-16.