Please complete the following activity: Exercise 2.1 - Factors That Affect Listening
“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said,
but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”
~ Robert McCloskey
To be an effective communicator, you need to be an effective listener. Think of all the hours you spent in class during your life. What percentage of the time were you really listening? What percentage of the material did you master? People learn by listening, not speaking. Yet, in so many situations, we begin to speak before the sender has finished the message. Real listening requires understanding, not just hearing. In today’s busy world, there seems to be a lot of talking but very little listening and, on the job, this can be disastrous. Our communication devices often get in the way of communicating. We have developed instant ways to keep up with what each other is doing, but we have not improved how well we communicate. Please review the following online article: Listening
Attending is the process by which the care provider pays close attention, both verbally and nonverbally, in such a way that the client/colleague feels listened to, cared about, and accepted. Often care providers have developed ways of relating non-verbally which discourage clients/colleagues from becoming engaged in interactions with them. Certain facial expressions such as frowns or curled lips, or other body behaviors such as yawning or squirming tend to inhibit the interaction. By developing awareness and practicing those behaviors, which are perceived by most people as signs of attention and interest, the care provider demonstrates physical presence and a willingness to become involved in the interaction. Evidence of genuine interest and listening is established by eye contact, facial expression, facing the person with an open and relaxed posture, nodding the head to suggest agreement and acknowledgement, leaning forward and summarizing.
Effective Physical Attending Behaviors
Physical attending includes facing the client/colleague making eye contact, leaning forward toward the client/colleague and having an open and relaxed posture. The acronym FELOR as outlined below is useful to help you remember the five nonverbal attending behaviors.
Face the other person you are listening to. This says "I am willing to be with you."
Eye contact. This says "I care about what you are experiencing and I am paying close attention." This is neither staring nor avoiding.
Lean slightly toward the person you are listening to. This says "I am involved and interested in you."
Open rather than closed posture. This shows receptiveness in you rather than defensiveness.
Relaxed rather than rigid posture. This says "I have energy for our work together. This is not slouched, which shows rigidity.
Psychological Attending
Psychological attending or presence consists of not only listening to the words of the client/colleague but also being aware of the behavioral cues that reflect the client/colleague's inner experience. This would include such behaviors as tone of voice, posture and facial expressions. Read the following online article: Nonverbal Communication
When the care provider pays close attention to the client/colleague they demonstrate respect, interest, involvement and caring. Good attending is also a powerful reinforcer as it encourages the client/colleague to become more involved in the communication process. To be around a person who really pays close attention is enjoyable. A client/colleague who experiences this attentiveness from a care provider is likely to respond with the same attentiveness. The ability to pay close attention to a client/colleague and listen exactly to what he says enables the care provider to establish psychological contact with the client/colleague. This contact enhances the development of trust and therefore forms the basis of the care provider-client/colleague relationship.
Active Listening is the cornerstone of all interactions. It is difficult to assess the client’s needs, wishes, or concerns unless you take time to listen to them. Listening extends beyond the act of hearing words and includes understanding and accurately interpreting what the client really says. Listening extends beyond being silent; it is an interactive and dynamic process. Active listening is an interactive and dynamic process, which requires the use of all the senses and involves attention, comprehension, and mindfulness to assess verbal and nonverbal communication. Please read the following online article: Active Listening
Please complete the following activity: Exercise 2.1 - Factors That Affect Listening
In active listening the nurse hears, decodes, clarifies and provides feedback regarding the message received which contributes to more accurate information and stronger health relationships. It is important to recognize barriers to active listening so they can be addressed and minimized. Interrupting, completing sentences for the speaker, introducing unrelated information challenging or asking “why” q questions, and minimizing feelings deter active listening. Barriers to active listening occur in all setting and often affect communication and interpersonal relationships in negative ways. The following article discuss the Barriers to Active Listening.
Review the ‘Summary of Non-Therapeutic Communication Techniques’ outlined in Table 2.3 of your course textbook and ask yourself how often you use them? How do others react?
Lastly, view the following TED talk on the importance of listening:
References
Balzer Riley, J. Communication in Nursing, 7th edition. St.Louis: MO. Elsevier Mosby
Schuster P.M. & Nykolyn, L. (2010) Communication for Nurses: How to Prevent Harmful Events and Promote Patient Safety. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company
SkillsYouNeed (2013) http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html
Synergy Curriculum (2014). Module 4 Unit 1 Communication. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved from http://www.unl.edu/synergycurriculum/Documents/Prevocational-Instructors/Teacher%20Module%204,%20Unit%201.pdf
CREducation. Perception Checking. Retrieved from http://www.creducation.org/resources License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/