Understanding the communication skills that support nurses to provide person-centred care.

Why you should read this article: • To refresh your knowledge of various elements of communication • To recognise the skills required to communicate effectively and provide person-centred care • To learn about different communication models to support effective non-verbal and verbal communication. Communication is a process of sharing information and developing relationships through interaction. It is essential for nursing care, providing a basis for nurses to establish therapeutic relationships and trust with patients and their families. It is often assumed that nurses can intuitively communicate well; as a result, traditionally there has been a lack of formal training in this area. However, communication is a skill that can be developed and enhanced. This article explains the elements of communication and discusses the skills required by nurses to communicate effectively and provide compassionate, person-centred care. The author outlines two communication models to demonstrate how nurses can use these skills to deliver bad news and support people in distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]