Communication and Health Literacy in Nursing - Essay Example

"Communication and Health Literacy in Nursing" is an exceptional example of a paper on care.
Communication is vital when caring for patients because it enables sharing information about their health and progress. It is critical to ensure that the client understands the information given by combining oral communication, body language, and supporting written materials (Wittenberg et al., 2020). For instance, warmly receiving a client and maintaining a friendly tone throughout the visit will encourage participation. Listening carefully as the client speaks without interrupting, paying attention, and being responsive reassures the patient of your care and will to help, thus encouraging them to be open. Also, concrete, understandable, and precise language must be used. For example, one can use 'stomach' or 'belly' rather than 'abdomen.' Communication should be a two-way street, and therefore it is essential to encourage the client to ask questions or request clarification. 

Clinicians should always speak at a moderate pace, not too fast that words are lost and not too slow that it makes the client feel uncomfortable. Additionally, content covered during a consultation should be limited to about four major points, which should be repeatedly explained. Oral communication can complement relevant graphical materials such as pictures, illustrations for a procedure, and 3-D models (Calvo, 2016). However, graphical materials used should be designed for demonstration purposes only without including detailed anatomy. Demonstrations of how to do exercises or take medicines or any relevant activity that can be illustrated with actions should be done to make sure it is more apparent. Additionally, a teach-back method should be used to confirm clients comprehend information that was shared and is usually done by requesting them to repeat it back.

Health literacy is the capability of a patient to understand and participate in their healthcare (Calvo, 2016). Patients must possess three components of general literacy, including print literacy, numeracy, and oral literacy. Therefore, clinicians are needed to ensure patients fully comprehend their medical situation so that they are in a position to make decisions concerning their health. When dealing with childbearing clients and their families, I would encourage Mrs. G's husband to be actively involved in prenatal visits during the pregnancy and afterward help in caring for the wife. Information provided would include ways to recognize problems during pregnancy, birth preparedness, and how to care for their baby. For example, I would use a baby-dummy to show the client and their family the correct position to hold the newborn. 

Specific guidelines to ensure health literacy when dealing with a potential language barrier scenario include using interpreters that are medically trained who act as culture brokers and clarifiers. A medical interpreter only serves as a conduit, and I would speak to the client directly and address patients in the first person and allow for sentence-by-sentence translation (Wittenberg et al., 2020). Additionally, I would tailor health info, specifically targeting Mrs. G to reflect her culture, age, and English language proficiency and use plain and unambiguous language. Also, inquiries should be made using open-ended questions to ensure patient participation, build confidence, and increase the likelihood of implementing what she learns as she feels appreciated and valued. For example, subjects should begin with 'what' or 'how' instead of closed questions that limit the answer to yes or no without further clarification. Significantly, the patient is allowed to describe their health condition in their own words.