Therapeutic communication competencies for nurses and midwives

Amfo, Nana Aba Appiah, Tọ́pẹ́ Ọmọniyì, Nii Teiko Teigo, Ọbádélé Kambon, and Kofi Korankye Saah
Therapeutic Communication Competencies for Nurses and Midwives. Tema: Digibooks.
Publication year: 2018
The objective of the book, Therapeutic Communication Competencies for Nurses
and Midwives is “to provide a relevant, contextually appropriate, coursebook to guide
the teaching and learning of therapeutic communication in nursing and midwifery
training colleges” (p. v). The book, which came out of material used to facilitate a
training programme for nursing and midwifery tutors throughout Ghana, was
commissioned by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana and is dedicated to the
memory of the second author, the late Prof. Tope Omoniyi, whose unfortunate demise
occurred in 2017, prior to the publication of the book

Development in nursing and midwifery practice around the world shows rather clearly that healthcare is a collaborative phenomenon between the carers and those to whom they have a duty of care. Previously, it was perceived as a one-directional operation in which the sick sought solutions to health problems from professionals who purportedly have all the answers. But a new holistic approach to the practice of nursing and midwifery reveals that patients and healthcare professionals are in fact engaged in a very significant social relationship. One that has a positive bearing on the outcome of any interventions that may be undertaken in addressing the health issues of patients. If the relationship works, there is the likelihood that the quality of care will be higher and society will record improved health standards.

In order to provide prospective nurses and midwives with adequate therapeutic communication competences, this coursebook addresses the principles and processes involved in the therapeutic relationship expected between nurse/midwife and patient or relatives through their communicative encounters in thirteen Units

Unit 1 introduces the student to the principle of communication. It is understood
that communication is both the product and enabler of healthy relationships: “if
communication fails, relationships break down” (p. 1).
As part of helping the trainee appreciate the contextualization of communication
and the need to reach the patient in a language that is accessible to the patient, as the
Patients’ Charter of the Ghana Health Service suggests, the language policy in Ghana
is introduced in Unit 2.
Units 3 to 6 cover what may be considered the main concern of the book. Unit 3
makes a case for communicative encounters between patients and nurses/midwives to
be therapeutic, if such encounters are to yield healthy outcomes.
Unit 4 focuses on the distinction between verbal and no-verbal communication
and how this important distinction relates to the therapeutic communication process.
The bulk of this Unit is on non-verbal communication in its varied dimensions,
underscoring the importance of non-verbal cues in therapeutics communication
Styles of communication differ. They may be direct, indirect, circular,
manipulative, etc., and they come with some behavioural patterns. These are identified
and discussed in Unit 5, where the authors discuss how four different communication
styles affect therapeutic communication
Unit 6, deals with how the nurse/midwife can talk with patients and caregivers in
a therapeutic manner about topics and issues described as “face-threatening and
emotionally challenging health concerns” (p. vi). T
Unit 7 focuses on lessons from communication in nursing/midwifery practice in
other cultural environments. This Unit offers the trainee the opportunity to learn from
best practices elsewhere.
Unit 8 deals with building the skills needed for effective conversation between
nurse/midwife and the patient. T
Unit 9 deals with technologies available for managing communication and the
use of communication devices to enhance communication within the healthcare setting.
Unit 10 deals with giving and receiving feedback, which they characterise as
constructive criticism