Nurse Manager Communication Skills
A nurse manager is a registered nurse who has the additional role of supervising nurses and ensuring that certain job duties in a hospital or medical facility are completed. As a part of her job, the nurse manager should have effective communication skills. Communication is essential for the nurse since she has to interact with the nurses she supervises, as well as doctors and patients. The nurse should have written communication, listening and nonverbal communication skills.
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Written and Verbal Communication
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In a hospital or medical facility the nurse manager has to schedule the nurses on staff for each shift. It is her job to create the schedule and communicate to the nurses when they are available. Communication is vital in this aspect of the job because if the nurse manager does makes changes to the schedule without disclosing it to the other nurses it could result in poor patient care. In addition to written communication the nurse manager should be able to clearly communicate through speech her suggestions and recommendations. This is especially helpful when dealing with the staff she supervises. Effective verbal communication can also help her voice concerns to doctors on behalf of her staff.
Listening
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A nurse also communicates by listening. The nurse manager must listen to the concerns of the doctors, patients and the nurses she oversees. She must listen to the concerns of those around her, comprehend the problem and communicate a solution. The nurse manager can learn how well the nurses are attending to the patients by listening to the patients. If the patients are complaining about long waits or are in excessive pain, this could be a sign that the nurses may need to pay more attention to the patients.
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Nonverbal communication
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The nurse manager can also use her nonverbal skills to work with doctors, patients and staff members. Looking patients in the eye can be a sign that the nurse is listening or nodding her head to let them know she is listening to them. Leaning in to talk to the nurses and doctors can also let them know she is listening. Using gentle care when helping a patient can also be a sign of nonverbal communication.
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References
- Photo Credit operation nurse image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com
