Here are three general rules for effective listening:

Rule One: Listen with the intent to understand. Put aside your own paradigms and listen with an open mind. Don’t just wait for the moment in the conversation that you can reply, “I know exactly how you feel. I had the same thing happened to me.”

Rule Two: Recognize your use of the primary levels of listening that each of us practice –

1. Ignoring: not listening,
2. Pretending to listen: responding with phrases such as, “Yes. Right,”
3. Selective listening: hearing only parts of the communication, and
4. Listening attentively to the specific words: but not necessarily listening to the message.

Rule Three: Develop the skill of empathic listening. Take time to understand the other person’s frame of reference (values and beliefs) and actively listen for the feeling he or she is conveying so that you can define the true meaning of the message.

As nurses, we communicate in many ways – verbal, nonverbal, written (documentation), and visual. Our ability to communicate can (and most often will) affect the care that we provide to our patients. In the changing world of healthcare, there can be little room for misunderstanding of written or verbal instructions. Patient care outcomes are a critical factor in the evaluation how healthcare is provided and received.

Often satisfaction with communication is based on the level of trust and the quality of the interaction more than on the amount of time spent in the interaction. Don’t take communication for granted. Personalize each encounter and learn to listen objectively. Communication is the cornerstone of empowerment!