Assertiveness is the ability to confidently and honestly express your opinions, thoughts, ideas and rights
without undue guilt or anxiety in a manner that respects personal and others' rights. The primary aim of
assertiveness is to meet personal needs and maintian personal rights and respect for self and others. It is a
learned behavior, and although it is an important behaviors nurses seldom use it. Nurses often have difficulty
using assertive communication skills to influences such as socialization, gender, low self-esteem, and lack of
knowledge. Aggressive communication, in contrast, is just an ineffective as passive communication and is
often used to humiliate and embarrass others. Successful assertive communication requires recognizing the
differences between assertive, passive and aggressive communication and practising the use of
assertiveness.
To be assertive is to:
...to express your rights
... stand up for yourself, your values & beliefs
... to be able to express your true feelings openly
... an active rather than a passive approach to others and to life
Complete the following Activity: Exercise 6.1 - How Assertive Are You?
Explore the information that describes passive, aggressive and assertive communication styles and complete the exercises at the bottom of each page.
View the following powerpoint show: Giving & Receiving Feedback; Saying No
and then complete the following activity: Exercise 6.2 - Giving & Receiving Feedback
Watch the following TED talk on the potential benefits of disagreement.
References:
Balzer-Riley, J. (2012). Communication in nursing (7th Ed). St. Louis, MO. Elsevier: Mosby