I‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ need a response to this discussion: Communication in healt

I‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ need a response to this discussion: Communication in healthcare is paramount to safe, quality care for patients. Unfortunately, poor communication has been linked to numerous incidences of patient harm. On the surface, communication seems like a simple process consisting of giving information to another person, but communication is complex. Many factors must be taken into account when communication is occurring, such as but not limited to background noise and conversations, body language, and the emotional state of the individuals involved in the exchange (Weiss & Tappen, 2015). Nurses communicate with an array of professionals and patients every day. Sometimes the need to set boundaries and advocate for oneself and patients arise, at which the nurse must be assertive but not aggressive in communicating expectations. According to Weiss and Tappen (2015), aggressiveness coerces one’s desires and ideas on others, while assertiveness makes one’s position clearly and firmly utilizing “I” statements. Suzuki et al. define assertiveness as actively expressing rights, thoughts, and sentiments without denying the rights of others. It is essential to be assertive when needed. Assertiveness lets others know where one stands. An issue with being assertive working in healthcare as a woman is that it frequently comes off as being aggressive. According to Maloney and Moore (2019), assertive behavior in women is misunderstood as aggression, often mistaken as hysterical, domineering, angry, and certainly not rewarded in the workplace. The statement “assertiveness is unfeminine” is a societal bias that people unconsciously perpetuate. It has been like that for a long time. The best way to help combat that bias is to continue to address the bias through education and awareness. Regardless of how it is portrayed, it is pertinent to be assertive when advocating for oneself and patients. As a leader, the nurse has to‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ delegate to others. Thus, it is crucial to set clear expectations for others to avoid confusion about what you need them to do. For instance, if you need help transferring a person to a new bed, it is best to communicate with someone about helping you by stating directly, “I need your help moving the patient” or asking, “will you help me move the patient.” As opposed to saying a passive-aggressive statement such as, “all these people here and I cannot get any help,” or “nobody wants to do any work today” and expecting someone to help you. Working as a nurse has helped me realize the importance of being assertive by telling people exactly what you want from them. It is poor communication to make assumptions about others knowing what is needed or wanted. My advice is to communicate directly to the person you want to give information to and make sure that individual understands what you are communicating by looking for the signs that someone is engaged while talking with them. It would prevent miscommunications from occurring. Assertiveness eliminates ambiguity and enables individuals to handle criticism. Thus, instead of becoming defensive and aggressive, the individual will listen calmly to the message then agree or disagree with the criticism with objective information. References Maloney, M. E., & Moore, P. (2019). From aggressive to assertive. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, 6(1), 46–49. Suzuki, E., Takayama, Y., Kinouchi, C., Asakura, C., Tatsuno, H., Machida, T., Yanahara, H., Kitajima, H., & Miwa, M. (2021). A causal model on assertiveness, stress coping, and workplace environment: Factors affecting novice nurses’ burnout. Nursing Open, 8(3), 1452–1462. Weiss, S. A., & Tappen, R. M. (2015). Essentials of nursing leadership and management (6th ed.). . Davis Com‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍pany.