Evaluating Communication Skills in Role Play - Essay Example

?Introduction The need to use effective communication in different circumstances is one which can work toward resolution or cause further complications. When looking at different scenarios, it can be seen that the right and wrong methods for communication create a drastic difference in applying the right solutions to the circumstance. When evaluating the situation with Kelly and Mary in a nursing home, it can be seen that specific applications are used to resolve conflicts and to create better communication with the patient. By doing this, there is the ability to create a different result while preventing other problems which may arise with the communication that is used. Summary of Scenario The scenario given is based on the relationship between Kelly, an elderly individual living in a nursing home and Mary, the care giver. Kelly is the age of 80 and requires basic assistance for daily living activities; however, she is still fairly independent with her actions. Mary goes to give Kelly her morning breakfast and is accused of stealing Kelly’s money as she is the only one in the room. Mary states that Kelly should look in her purse again to see if the money is there; however, Kelly refuses and continues to become aggressive toward Mary. After this point, there are two methods of communication that are used. The first is with Mary who tells Linda, the manager, about the given scenario and what the results are. The second is when the message is communicated to Doreen, the daughter of Kelly. Doreen tells her mother to look in her purse where the money is found. Kelly and Mary also go into the room to resolve the conflict; however, the money has been found and an apology is made toward Mary. Theories of Communication The first application that can be seen with the scenario between Kelly and Mary is based on behavioural theory. This theory states that the communication and motivation which is used may alter the behaviours which one takes as well as the intentions which are a part of the theory. When using persuasive communication in the right manner, the behaviours alter and a different mood is created toward the situation (Fishbein, Cappella, S1: 2006). When looking at the scenario between Kelly and Mary, it can be seen that the motivation factors alters the behaviour. Mary first tries to alter the situation by calming Kelly down and motivating her to look in her bag. However, the behavioural response leads to aggressive behaviour toward Mary. The motivation at this point is used in a negative manner because of the situation. The same concept of behavioural theory is applied when Doreen steps in. The communication is used in a non – threatening manner and Kelly is able to express her concerns thoroughly. This allows Doreen to motivate Kelly to look in her bag. The response isn’t negative because of the way the information is communicated to her mother. The communication that was used negatively is one which may directly be associated with Mary as well as with Linda later during the scenario. According to Eric Berne, the negative communication is one which is not only based on this scenario. Reactions and experiences also may create a psychological response to the situation. If the communication approach is one which constitutes a psychological reaction or triggers a memory, then a negative response may occur. The scripts which may lead to a negative reaction include protocol, script proper and adaptation. The protocol of Kelly is relayed through her instant reaction of believing that Mary took her money. The script proper is also a retelling of past experiences and psychological responses to the situation. The adaptation is retrieved when a change in attitude and understanding of the situation is correctly applied (Stewart, 7: 2007). When looking at this situation, it can be seen that the negative response was based only on psychological responses. The relation that Kelly has with both Mary and Linda triggers a negative reaction or protocol which Kelly believes is true. This can be seen in the overall description of Kelly, which shows that she is still independent and while thankful of the assistance she receives, tries to remain independent in all but the basic living activities. The script that Kelly has created is one which may instantly have a negative reaction to the persona of Mary and Linda. However, the script with Kelly’s daughter is different and has a positive relation. This allows Doreen to communicate the same message and to get a different response. In return, this creates the adaptation to the situation, which is based on changing the outlook of the situation. The dilemma that is created is then based on a transactional analysis in which the relationships that are built subconsciously constitute the behaviours and outcomes, as opposed to only carrying a response in a basic understanding of what has occurred (Cornell, 17: 2008). Resolution of Conflict The resolution of the conflict occurred when Doreen pointed out to her mother that she needed to look in her bag to check the money. When this was mentioned by others, it created more conflict. The resolution of the conflict is one which relates directly to the ego state in communication. The ego is one which directly labels those who are working in the scenario and creates a specific type of communication with the individuals. According to Eric Burne and his client centred approach, the professional identity which one has creates a trigger in the psychological knowledge that a client holds. The role of the expert is one that is based on how much knowledge they hold, evidence that is created around the relationship and the belief in credibility which one has. This creates a client centred approach, which is based on how the professional and the client interact with each other as well as how the relationship creates altered ego states (Thorne, 66: 2003). The ego state will then accept or reject the professional based on the client relationship which is built, such as Kelly did when rejecting the professional approach that Mary had to resolve the issue. The state of the ego in communication altered, which created the approach that Kelly had in the situation. The ego state when approaching Mary was in the state of the child state in which the response was subconscious and associated with memories and triggered associations with the professional and client relationship. When Doreen came to visit her mother the ego state changed into the adult state, which was based on the motherly responsibility and role that Kelly had. The ego state created a gap in mentioning and communicating the necessary solution. The relationship between client and professional held this gap as Kelly’s response was based on the subconscious and emotional triggers that were based on the self to other relation. However, Doreen didn’t hold this same relationship which altered the behaviours and response that was a part of the communication used (Mather, 33: 2008). The same type of ego state was seen with the response from Mary. The ego state began with the adult state, which was based on helping Kelly to find the money in her purse. At this point, she was working from a professional viewpoint and was working on calming Kelly down. When Kelly responded with aggressive behaviour, Mary turned into a child state, specifically because she didn’t say anything and left the room. Mary then told Linda, which kept the same child state. However, when she went back into the room, the ego changed to the adult state by accepting the apology and moving into a professional role. The state of both Doreen and Linda remained in the adult state, specifically with the decision to solve the problem without interfering in the personal or emotional reactions. Changes of Methods by Circumstance The communication and resolution of conflict that was approached with Kelly and Mary would alter depending on the circumstance. For instance, when looking at a child care centre, the conflict would use different approaches. The association with past experiences, protocols and the professional would differ with subconscious associations. The childcare influences that would create responses are based on the relationship between the family and the care giver. The family relationship with the mother and father is one which holds the authority for the child. The psychological association with the professional would either trigger the same response or would create an understanding of the professional as a stranger or the unknown. The attachment and security that would be given in this specific situation would then alter either to create a sense of detachment and behavioural reactions in rebelliousness or a sense of communication that would express a sense of attachment to the child care provider. More important, the level of development of the child would make a difference in how the communication and behavioural reactions occurred (Howes et al: 403: 1988). Another concept which would alter the theories is in a mental health care setting. A shared mental model can be applied to this specific situation. While the behavioural concepts and the ego state still apply, there are other applications to the communication used. This moves beyond the professional to client relationship and into one which constitutes the subconscious and mental battles which the patient may be dealing with. The subconscious is not only triggered by a situation or protocol. More important, there is an integration of the mental instabilities that the patient is dealing with and the application of concepts that are used in a given situation. The situation, background and assessment would all need to apply in a mental health situation before determining the reality of the problem and how to communicate with an individual in mental health. More important, the problem wouldn’t be completed by mentioning the problem. There would be an evaluation of how this may have been triggered either from past experiences or the mental complexities that the patient is dealing with (Haig et al, 167: 2006). With each of these applications, are national standards of care that are also applied in the UK, no matter which psychological response is associated with what are occurring. This is based on the National Health Service in the UK, which guides the London Hospital System with policies and standards which have to be met. This was established in 1948 as a response to difficulties and complications in institutes, such as mental health institutes and nursing care homes. The most recent standard is a new bill which has been passed that focuses on the equity that different hospitals should have. This includes basic concepts for safety and security, as well as confidentiality. It also moves into situations that are based on the best ways to assist patients in a professional manner so the resolution desired is obtained without causing conflict among the patient and the families that are involved with the patient. Clear and professional communication, reporting specific incidents and working in a specific manner provides a set of alternatives for communicating appropriately in any given situation (Rivett, 7: 2009). Types of Communication Skills Used The types of communication skills used were dependent on the individual and the reactions which were made. The skills which Mary used were dependent on keeping a professional mannerism and trying to resolve the problem. This was done through the theory of motivation, which was trying to convince Kelly of an alternative solution. However, this led to a reaction from Kelly that created a negative response and hindered the communication. The same motivational theory was used with Doreen; however, the difference was in the position that Doreen was in. This worked to get Kelly to respond in a positive manner. More important, Doreen waited until Kelly had relayed all information about the situation before stepping in. The use of effective listening was just as important with the communication skills used. The second type of communication skill used was based on the responses between Mary and Linda. This was based on the policies and work environment protocol which is expected. More important, there was a direct relation between the professional and client relationship that created a specific response from Mary. Working in a professional manner was one which was based on the protocol which Kelly had created by becoming aggressive toward Mary. The response from Linda was also professional by looking into the situation. There wasn’t motivation or a specific response used; however, there was also a response which didn’t bring enough significance into the situation and other potential problems which may have created this response. The professional to client relationship, as portrayed by Carl Rogers, was the second type of communication used with little motivation or negative and positive responses used. The communication that was used between the clients was furthered by the non-verbal communication represented through the client and professional relationship. The first type of non-verbal communication was from Kelly. The response that she had after Mary told her to look into her purse was to try to hit Mary with the bag and to become physically aggressive. The tone of voice, judgment and the physical actions which Kelly took created the type of communication used in the situation. Mary’s response of leaving the room and not communicating anymore with Kelly created another level of non-verbal communication which was as dismissive. This showed that Mary had altered into the child state and the lack of eye contact as well as the silence that was shown in response created more judgment from Mary and Kelly. These two incidents became barriers of communication and created a space between the professional and client in the situation. The gap then required interference with Linda and Doreen who were able to resolve the situation (Mehrabian, 1: 2009). Conclusion The concept of communication is one which is reliant on more than the basic information which is sent between individuals. The psychological responses between individuals also inflict a different mannerism and set of behaviors by individuals. More important, the environment which one is in also creates a difference in how individuals respond. If the environment places specific protocols and scripts, then the response may be positive or negative because of psychological associations with the protocols. Determining the differences and understanding the several layers that are associated with how one responds creates an alteration in the communication that is used in a given situation as well as how this becomes relevant on several dimensions. References Cornell, WF. 2008. “What Do You Say if You Don’t Say Unconscious? Dilemmas Created for Transactional Analysts by Berne.” Transactional Analysis Journal 5 (2). Fishbein, Martin, Joseph Cappella. 2006. “The Role of Theory in Developing Effective Health Communications.” Journal of Communication 56 (1), S1-S17. Haig, Kathleen, Staci Sutton, John Whittington. 2006. “SBAR: A Shared Mental Model for Improving Communication Between Clinicians.” Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 32 (3), 167-175. Howes, Carollee, Carol Rodning, Darlene Galluzzo, Lisabeth Myers. 1988. “Attachment and Child Care: Relationships with Mother and Caregiver.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 3 (4), 403-416. Mather, Ronald. 2008. “Hagel, Dostoyevsky and Carl Rogers: Between Humanism and Spirit.” History of the Human Sciences 21 (1), 33-48. Mehrabian, Albert. 2009. Nonverbal Communication. UK: Transaction Publisers. Rivett, Geoffrey. 2009. From Cradle to Grave: The First 60 Years of the NHS. London: National Health Service History. Stewart, Ian. 2007. Transactional Analysis Counselling in Action. London: Sage Publications. Thorne, Brian. 2003. Carl Rogers. London: Sage Publications. Read More