Communication

Communication is key to quality palliative care

Good interaction and communication between the person and health care professionals establishes a relationship based on respect and empathy. This is important for effective communication to ensure care quality and continuity that optimises outcomes for the person and their family.

The ability of nurses to tailor approaches to communication according to the audience and purpose is also important and will include communication with:

patients/clients, carers, and family
care team members
care organisations including management and peers.

Related Resources

palliAGED Practice Tip Sheet – Culturally Responsive Care – Communication
palliAGED Practice Tip Sheet – First Australians – Communication
palliAGED Practice Tip Sheet – People with Intellectual Disability – Communication

There are two main types of communication that need to be considered:

verbal communication, that is, talking with the person or people involved
non-verbal communication, that is, unspoken cues such as body language and the physical environment, records, documents, and printed or electronic educational materials.

Compassion and good communication helps nurses to create a protective environment in which the person and their family can optimally deal with any emotional concerns associated with a life-limiting illness. Nursing communication has been described as the use of physical and interactive presence, active listening, silence, and therapeutic presence.

Communication is a core nursing skill. Interactions will depend on the nurses’ role, experience, confidence, skills, ability, and whether enough is known about what is happening with a patient to embark on a detailed conversation. In the following sections we help you to explore these concepts and provide tips for practice according to audience and purpose.

Communication with patients, carers and families

Communication with patients, carers and families in palliative care includes supporting people through caring tasks and development of a therapeutic relationship to build trust, and a sense of solidarity and empowerment.

Within the care team

Communication within the care team facilitates the team’s capacity to provide comprehensive care with optimal collaboration. Communication is based on a common goal of quality care with the acknowledgement of the skill and understanding of other members of the interdisciplinary team.

Within the organisation

Communication within the organisation acknowledges the procedures and information channels in place across the organisation, privacy considerations, and the requirements of auditing and accreditation.

Conflict in communication

Conflict in communication can occur due to different perspectives of care, different patient goals, different values, different ethics, or different role expectations.