Discuss Factors That Support And Inhibit Communication

by aisha_issaoutlookcom (student)

Factors Support and Inhibit Communication

In order for communication to be effective, the situation within which the communication takes place must be supportive as possible. This means removing factors that may prevent effective communication. The factors that hinder communication are; position, environment, emotion and special needs. These factors can create barriers to receiving messages and interpreting messages which inhibit communication. The care practitioner would need to overcome the factors before it becomes an extraneous variable.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Positioning

According to Fisher et, al (2012) “setting arrangement and positioning should be considered carefully when communicating.” This is because space can evoke different emotions between the care practitioner and service user. If the care practitioner is sat closely with the service user; they could feel uncomfortable and uneasy, so there work effort would be weakened. This may cause them not perform to their potential. The service user may also feel nervous and uncomfortable, which may result to them not contributing to the discussion orally. They may hold back important information and this would result in communication not being effective. For communication to be effective positioning would be important; the care practitioner would need to position themselves a few centimetres away from the service user in order to make the service user feel more comfortable and at eased because the service user is given their own personal space. An example was positioning would be effective in communication would be a councillor distancing themselves a few centimetres from the service user. This is because the service user would be more open to discussion and it would give a sense of respect due to the counsellor giving the service user a sense of empowerment. It can be daunting for a service user when at a health care institute because they feel that they are weak and so having distance can give them their right to empowerment.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Height is a factor of positioning that is essential in communicating effectively because it can influence the conversation. With height, it is important that the care practitioner’s chair is at a level, which would enhance communication. If a health and social care practitioner’s chair is higher than the service user, this can make the service user feel inferior. The service user should feel at eased in order to share their concerns because if they feel uncomfortable they are more likely to restrain themselves. A care practitioner would need to be aware of the effects of height and distance would have to a service user. A service user having to look up at a care practitioner might make them feel inferior. This can result in the service user not informing the care practitioner everything about their symptoms. A nurse or doctor discussing important information with a service user would make sure that their chair is at a level where the service user isn’t feeling inferior. This would make sure that the service user feels at ease and engaged in the conservation.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Emotional Factors

Fear can have an impact on the way the service user can communicate to the care practitioner. Fear can cause the service user to withdraw information. This would make the communication not effective because the service is not informing the care practitioner their worries. The care practitioner not being informed of the service user’s fears would result in them not being able to comfort and explain the treatment options that best suits the service user. A scenario to show how fear can affect a situation between a care practitioner and service would be a service user scared about their symptoms becoming an illness. The service user might avoid telling the GP of all their symptoms because they are escaping from what the illness might be due paranoia. This would lead to the care practitioner not providing the best possible treatment for the service user. In this situation, the service user would not be given the right to empowerment. The right to empowerment means that the service user is provided with the necessary support to be able to do things for themselves. However, in this case, the care practitioner is not informed of the symptoms the service user is experiencing and therefore, they cannot give the ‘necessary support’. This can make the service user feel unvalued and even more scared.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

This is a preview of the whole essay

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Self-esteem is another emotion that can support or inhibit communication between the service user and care practitioner. People have different self-esteem levels; some may be high whilst others might have low self-esteem. A high self-esteem could result in the service user being confident and engaging in discussions or activities. This would help a care practitioner interact with the service user more easily because they would be able to get a clear understanding of the service user and the care practitioner could draw a conclusion about the service user. For example, a social worker advising an elderly service user with a high self-esteem to participant in regular exercise in order to help the service user’s muscle and tissue mass. In this situation, the service user would be more confident in telling the social worker what exercises they would prefer and if they want a group exercise or a private individual. The service user would right to choose their preference of exercise. However, if the service user had a low self-esteem this would be inhibiting communication. The elderly service user would be withdrawn and look at what the social worker had advised them in a negative perspective; they may see it as a mockery of their old age. This would result in the elderly service user not engaging in the exercise due to feeling discriminated on the basis of their age. A solution to deal with the elderly service user’s low self-esteem would be the social worker establishing a friendly atmosphere with the service user in order for them to explain the reasons why they had advised them to exercise.

(assessed on 11/10/2015)

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Trust can have an impact on communication being provided by the care practitioner to the service user, it can support or inhibit communication. Building trust in an atmosphere is essential and beneficial to the care practitioner because it would support communication. It would mean that the service user would be more open to discussion and accept what the care practitioner had said. This would make communication between the service user and care practitioner effective because they can talk to each other without having trust issues. For example, a GP was to advise a service user a different medication there would be less conflict because of the good trust the service user and care practitioner had established. The service user would still ask questions, but wouldn’t clash aggressively with the care practitioner. The care practitioner and service user would converse in friendly terms because the service user trusts the care practitioner in providing them good service and feels valued and respected. On the other hand, if the service user trusts the care practitioner too much could result in the care practitioner taking advantage of the trust and not providing quality care. The care practitioner could give the wrong advice to the service user. This would inhibit communication because the care practitioner is misleading the service user into believing something that is wrong is right. This can result in the service user not having the right to choose because they may be excluded from decisions regarding their care or is provided limited information to make a judgement. For example, a care practitioner might inform the service user only one medication or treatment options. Therefore, not giving them the choice.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Happiness can support communication because a positive atmosphere can help a service user understand the care practitioner in a positive way. Happiness conveys optimism into the service user’s life and makes it easier to avoid worries and negative thinking. The service user being happy would look at the good things in a situation that might be life-threatening and there would be less conflict between the service user and the care practitioner due to the positive atmosphere. The service user could be more open to contributing to activities and following the advice of the care practitioner due to feeling happy. The care practitioner would benefit from a happy atmosphere because it would be easier for them with communicating with the service user without hostility because the service user would be more focused on the good side of a situation rather than the negative due to their joyful feeling. An example to show the effectiveness of the emotion happiness has on a relationship between a service user and care practitioner would be a nurse asking for the consent of a service user on passing confidential information to another care practitioner within the health care organisation. The service user would allow the nurse pass information because they understand that the nurse would be sharing the information to aid them in their health. This is because the emotion happiness interrelates with trust. The service user would be happy to give consent in this situation because they trust the nurse.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Another emotion that supports communication is empathy because a care practitioner having sympathy and compassion would be beneficial for the service user because the care practitioner would view the situation from their perspective. The care practitioner would understand the emotions the service user would have in the situation, which may be emotionally difficult for the service user. An example where empathy would be used by a care practitioner would be a nurse informing a service user about infections or illnesses. The nurse would take into consideration of what the service user may feel and recognise that all service users respond to bad news differently. The nurse would have to further make sure that he or she recognise the diverse attitudes of the service users that they are caring for because it can differ from their own and the service users must not be condemned by the nurse and treated differently, the nurse should show empathy regardless of the service user’s diversity. Therefore, the nurse would inform the service user gently about their health condition. On the other hand, the nurse can be too involved in the service user that it could result in them becoming critical and disapproving about other professional’s advice about the service user. This would inhibit communication because the service user would only be provided one health advice that might not be genuine.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Responsive communication, which means to react and be alert can support and inhibit information. The care practitioner being able to answer the concerned questions of a service user would support communication because the care practitioner would be effectively responding to the service user. This would give the service user more of an understanding of the aims the care practitioner is trying to achieve. It would reassure the service user that the care practitioner is working in their best interest and not misleading them to believe something that is wrong is right. For example, a doctor answering the concern questions of a service user about their healthcare would demonstrate responsive communication. The doctor would inform the service user what they aim to achieve and how they would help the service user to achieve their goal. In this situation, the doctor would promote individual rights by consulting the service user. The service user would be effectively engaging in the conservation since they have the dominant role due to them being the one asking the questions to the doctor regarding their health. However, there is a minor danger with responsiveness communication which is that the doctor might want to medicate or solve the service user’s problems without consulting the service user. This means that the service user would not have the right in consultation or choice. The service user would be excluded from the discussion about their health, which would result in communication not being effective. This would also result in the service user feeling not valued or seen important. This can link to self-esteem inhibiting communication because the service user would be more withdrawn and view the doctor’s advice or support in a negative way.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Lastly, attentiveness is a good form of communication that shows that the care practitioner is taking the service user’s concerns seriously. This is important because the service user would feel valued and would contribute to the conversation orally or written form. Attentive communication would mean that the care practitioner is focusing and maintaining honest interest on the service user. For example, a social worker conducting a care plan for a service user would show that is using attentiveness communication is essential because the social worker would listen to what the service user would prefer. If the service user would like swimming over cycling, then the social worker would write down that swimming is the preferred exercise. The social worker asking the service user what their preferred exercise is promoting individual rights as the service user is given the right to consultation. On the contrary, the social worker may become too attentive in the service user, which may result in them becoming too nosey. This can make the service user take more caution when conserving with the social worker. They may feel like the social worker is invading their privacy.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Environmental Conditions

Noise can play an important role in effective communication because it has an intense impact on how information is conserved. Noise levels must be appropriate for the conversation taking place. The most obvious effect noise has on a conservation would be that it can prevent someone from hearing parts of the communication. The service user may misunderstand and misinterpret the conservation. This can affect the service users emotionally because the service user might feel stressed and anxious. If the care practitioner was to conserve in a louder tone of voice to overcome the background noise, this can take their devotion away from the content of the communication, making it more challenging for the service user to understand them. This is because the louder tone of voice is associated with shouting and aggression. This can stop the service user from picking up on advice from the care practitioner. For example, if a nursery nurse was having a conservation with a parent regarding a child’s progress in the nursery, but the level of noise was high. In this situation, the nursery nurse would not be able to inform the parent about concerns regarding their child and information is more likely to be misheard or misinterpreted. This can result in the parent being frustrated and angry at the nursery nurse. They may view the nurse as unstable. To overcome this the nursery nurse would have the meeting with the parent in the private room.

In the other hand, a room too quiet, can result in the parent not finding the situation conductive and therefore, would not engage in a discussion. In this case, the nursery nurse should play quite soothing background music. However, there are religious beliefs that prohibit music and therefore, to promote individual beliefs the care practitioner would not play music, but would use questions and visual aids, such as diagram or pie charts to show the parent how their child is performing in the nursery. This is another method to engage the parent in the discussion.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Lighting is another environmental condition that supports and inhibit communication between a service user and a care practitioner. If a care practitioner is having a conservation with a service user in dimmed room about personal issues, then it would inhibit communication. In this situation, a brightly lit room would be necessary because it allows the care practitioner to make notes. A dimmed room can make it difficult for a care practitioner to write down the important information in the conservation. However, a dimmed room can be an advantage for a psychologist or therapist because service users using therapy session would be more comfortable in a dimmed room. This is because they feel that the private information would be hard to interpret and this feeling would encourage them to have a conservation about their personal problems. The service user would also encourage by the fact that they know their personal information would be confidential. The lighting needs to be appropriate for the occasion.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Ventilation is important because good air circulation can support communication whilst a cold or extremely hot room temperature can inhibit communication depending on the weather. If a room temperature was too hot it can cause the service user to be moody or dreary. For example, a primary school teacher in summer would have to make sure that the room temperature is colder than the weather outside. This would make the children more focused and engaged in the classroom. This is because they would not be fidgeting or bothered by the weather outside. The children would soothe by the cold air coming from the ventilation. In winter, the same can apply; the room temperature would be warmer than the cold winter weather. This would make sure that the children are not focused on the cold weather and is concentrating on the lesson being taught by the primary school teacher and can engage in class discussion.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Lastly, space is an environmental condition that can support or inhibit communication between a service user and care practitioner. Space can support communication because if the service user has their own personal space in a group discussion it can help them engage rather than withdraw themselves. If the care practitioner does not provide the service user with their personal space than it inhibits communication because they would close off and more likely to withdrawn from the conservation. For example, a social worker organises a group therapy for elderly service users in a care home. The social worker would make sure that all the service users are given a space between each other to promote individual beliefs. A female elderly service user might be uncomfortable if a male service user was sitting next to her and therefore, she would feel frustrated and anxious.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Special Needs

Sign language is a way for people to communication through hand movement, conveying a meaning without speaking. This is beneficial for deaf people or people with hearing impairment because they struggle in the hearing, so would benefit with visually seeing the message through hand movement and they could response back with sign language. For example, a doctor would use sign language to have a conservation with an elderly service user with hearing impairment. This would aid the elderly service user in understanding the information. If the doctor would have talked to the elderly service user it can result in the service user not hearing the doctor. However, if the doctor does not know sign language and cannot find a healthcare professional or a person that works in the institute it can inhibit communication. Then the doctor can communicate to the elderly service user by writing or typing the information as well as verbally saying it slowly. It is vital for healthcare institute to promote equality and diversity and this can be done by having a person that knows sign language to present in a room in the situation where a care practitioner cannot communicate to a service user due to hearing impairment.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Braille is a form of written communication for blind people. The written language is represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with fingertips. Care practitioner would use braille as a way to communicate with service users that have a limited vision and those that are blind. Braille supports communication between a care practitioner and a service user as the blind service user is able to the information themselves rather than reliant on the care practitioner. This would aid the blind service user in making their own choices. For example, in a care home menus might be written in braille in order for the elderly service users that are blind to read and understand the foods that are being offered. This would give the elderly service user the right to choose their food.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)

Makaton is a language programme that uses signs and symbols in order to help people to communicate efficiently. It is intended to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used when spoken. Makaton can assist people that have a difficulty in learning and a hearing impairment because signs are easier to understand than words. This can be beneficial for a nursery nurse when teaching children ways of behaving. The nursery nurse can use hand movement to convey a meaning to the children. For example, if a child was bullying another child based on their ethnicity, then they nursery nurse point at the child whilst verbally tell them to stop. This would make sure that the nursery nurse is reinforcing the anti-discriminatory policy.

(accessed on 11/10/2015)