P3
Effective communication in health and social care
In this assignment I will explain factors that affect communication in relation to health and social care. There are three main ways in which communication can become blocked which are if an individual is unable to see, hear or receive the message and if an individual is unable to understand or make the sense of the message.
There are many factors which affects communication
Physical environment- to enhance the physical environment in communication we should make sure it is quiet and private to ensure that everything said is heard clearly and people can speak to each other without problems occurring. It should also be a comfortable environment to ensure that the service user is feeling comfortable enough as the professional may be giving them information that may be hard for them to take in at first. The professional should be very supportive and pleasant to ensure the service user feels as if they can talk to them about anything that’s worrying them without feeling worried or anxious that they would be rude or feel like they are asking something stupid or irrelevant. The environment should also be welcoming so the service user feels as if they are welcome and not bothering anyone around them. Communication can be hindered if the environment isn’t private for example if the professional is giving information to a service user and the environment isn’t private they may feel like they can’t ask questions because they have no privacy and they may be left not understanding what is happening to them which could leave them anxious and worried. There also needs to be appropriate resources in the environment for example enough beds for patients or appropriate toys for children.
Emotional- to enhance the emotional factors of a service user they should always feel happy and content as this will make communication flow easier and they will feel a lot better when they know there is people around them to always talk to so they don’t feel alone. Service users should feel like they can express their feelings without being judged. The professional should have a positive attitude as if they are feeling positive then it will influence the service user to feel positive. Communication can be hindered if a service user is feeling sad it may block communication between them and the health professionals as they may not feel comfortable enough to open up to the professional about their problems and worries which may leave them feeling down and alone. If the service user feel like their feelings aren’t being taken into account then it may leave them feeling stressed and as if no one understand them. If the service user feels like the professional is judging them then they may find it hard to express how they feel because they may feel the professionals don’t understand. Emotional barriers can include when the service user finds it difficult to express how they feel. They may feel different emotions for example anxious, sad, nervous, distressed, embarrassed, angry, ignored or misunderstood. This can be stressful on the service user as they will feel like they are battling it all in but it can also be stressful on the professional because if the service user doesn’t express how they feel then they may not be able to give them the service they need. A profession should always encourage the service user to feel comfortable in talking about how they feel and they should also make sure that they are always listening to them and understanding them.
Social factors- to enhance the social factors the service user should feel like they are included and wanted to ensure that they feel like they are able to speak to the professionals about their problems no matter how big or small they are. The professionals should respect the identity of each service user and respect their individuality. If the service users are in a group they should be able to relate to others and feel a part of the group and
