Within the context of this essay I will particularly focus on the interprofessional communication. I will discuss the impact on communication. I will reflect on my personal experience from the interprofessional learning module group work periods. To do that I will examine personal thoughts, focusing how my self as an individual interact with group members to obtain better understanding of what their think. (Somerville and Keeling 2004) To this I will use Rolfe et al’s reflective model.
Reflection is an active process that will enable me and other heath care professionals to gain a deeper understanding of any experience with patients. (Johns and Freshwater 2005) I this assignment I will emphasise on the personal aspects of both verbal and non-verbal communication as this contribute to the quality of nursing care (Hinchiff et al 2003). I will identify the reason that enhance and inhibit effective communication silks within inteprofessional team working. I will also identify the reason that enhances effective communication and team work.
What Using the group work on professionalism I will reflect on communication. In that session we were put in small groups of five to discus professionalism. We are all studying different professions. As a group we had to put ideas together to define the definition of professionalism. We all first discussed and then compared the codes of professional conduct for each of the profession. Communication played very important part in this significant learning experience. Communication is the process by which information, meanings and feelings are shared through speaking (verbal) and gestures (non verbal) like hand movement or even making faces. (Dunne 2005)
This means that people’s react to response to each other and this continues till the interaction is concluded. In that session communication process took place. Within our group we have actively communicated with each other. By Communicating with group members we have expressed our thoughts. I have observed the non verbal language and the verbal responses. I have listened to make sense of what have been said. And at last expressed new ideas between my group members.
I have actively listened to what my group member had to say. Listening is a process that requires energy and concentration as only a part might be heard of what was said. (Anderson 1990)As active listing requires responses I have used short verbal responses to acknowledge that I am hearing what the other person was saying. Those paralinguistic responses were such hmm and ah showed that I was listening. In a health care setting effective listing is very important, therefore I believe that professional may miss something important about a patient/ service user when full attention is not fully paid to the message. (Anderson 1990)
The factors that enhanced effective communication within our group was had a set objective which would make a difference on what we think professionalism mean in different professions. When we had to give feed back to the rest of the classroom we all supported each other with the answers. In the process of communication assertiveness was lacking within our group. For example when at times I felt differently on certain aspects of our conversation I feared to say what I thought.
The overall objective has enabled us as a group to make the best of time that we had. The lecturer was our facilitator. The facilitator used the meaning dimension. This model has dimensions that can be used to make decisions in a group. (Burnard 1997) Our group facilitator listened to feedback and than explained what have been said so all members made sense of what is happening. When the discussion took place about professionalism my group was still at the second stage in its development. This stage is called the storming stage. (Burnard 1997).
I believe that in nursing the ability to work in a team is one of the key elements. (Sully and Dallas 2005)The reasons that enhance effective interpriffesional team work is the clear goals that are set by the teams to make the significant different for the patient. When the members are competent, committed and know the expected standards of excellence that that also enhance interproffesional team work. Team work between nurses and multidisciplinary team is important, the more effective the teamwork the better the client care (Hogston and Simpson 1999)
When the intereprofessionl team work don’t support each other and don’t have a leader who has a vision of the outcome of what the team is to achieve than that inhibit effective interprofessional work. Also factors such as budgets and resources can inhibit team wok. For example when nurses would like to work collaboratively to solve a problem, the manager might cut down the time on collaboration. (Hogston and Simpson 1999) Factor such as trust and respect also contributes to effective team work. This could be partly done by understanding key roles of practitioners, values and models of practice in other professional groups.
The adaptation to various roles when working in a team enhances the effectiveness of the group. (Sully and Dallas 2005) Effective communication between the interprofessionals increases the ability to provide better care. (Sully and Dallas 2005) Factors that inhibit effective communication within interprofessional team is failure of eliciting available information, also when professional fells to check understanding and does not encourage questions to answers when necessary can inhibit effective communication. (Davis and Fallowfield 1991)
When communicating with my group members I have paraphrased sentences and asked questions to make better understanding of what have been said. Professionals also need to understand the non verbal as verbal communication. I have learned that my arms folded could mean that I have no interest in the conversation or in what the other person has to say. “Head and shoulders movements are used to convey interest, level of agreement, defiance, submission or ignorance.”( Kenworthy et al 2002)
My eye contact was maintained fairly well, this was easy thing to do as my group was quiet small. But when giving feedback to other groups in the classroom it became much harder thing to do. I spoke clearly so everyone could hear me speaking. Taking turns when giving feed back was also done very well. Everyone waited for each person to finish what they were saying. So what This discussion prepared me for my placement practice. I was actively involved in communication. It made me realise that I need to use principles of communication within inter professional team.
I have learned why reflection is so important. By reflecting I have gain better understanding of my experience in my group. Also I have not only recalled my experience but made decision on what I am going to do to improve my interprofessional skills. I have got basis understanding of communication, but in order to become effective communicator reflection is required (Minardi and Riley 1997) Sully and Dallas (2005) states that we learn about our skills so we can develop both professionally and personally through the process of reflection. Reflection can be done by using reflective models. I have learned about the three reflective models that can help me and any health care worker to reflect in the future.