Purpose
Communication in mental health nursing is an essential component of all therapeutic interventions. The knowledge and interpersonal skills that a nurse uses to communicate are essential aspects of helping the person who is experiencing mental health problems or distress, as well as facilitating the development of a positive nurse–client relationship. This requires the mental health nurse to use a range of appropriate and effective communication and engagement skills with individuals, their carers and other significant people involved in their care. This chapter examines the verbal and non-verbal communication skills that are most relevant to mental health nursing, and illustrates how each skill can be used in practice.
Contents
- Introduction
- Learning Outcomes
- Interpersonal Skills
- Listening
- Listening to Non-Verbal Communication
- The SOLER Position
- Listening to Verbal Communication
- Framework for Listening and Attending to Clients
- Practice Exercise
- Touch
- Silence
- Reflecting Skills
- Paraphrasing
- Summarizing
- Probing Skills
- Other Useful Probing Questions
- Unhelpful Questions
- Using Skills in Practice
- Conclusion
- Reflective Questions
Type of Tool:
- Book Chapter
