The importance of communication skills to midwifery practice Essay

The importance of communication skills to midwifery practice - Essay Example Research emphasises the need to see interpersonal communication through interrelationships which develop taking into account the issues of power and diversity, and good communication likewise flourish through and revolve around the emotional dimensions of care work. Chant et al. (2001) indicated that in general in the care practices, effective communication skills on the part of the practitioner leads to greater satisfaction out of care. basically, patient satisfaction leads to compliance, which in turn minimises complaint rates, emotional and psychological distress (Chant et al. 2001). An effective communication to any patient on the part of the care giver induces many favourable changes in the client that may be conducive to positive health. Rogers et al. (1999) indicated that communicated patients are "better educated and empowered to participate in their own health decisions and as a result will make shared decisions" (p.175). These principles are also applicable in midwifery practice, where the definition of communication is same as elsewhere in the care professions. Communication means exchange of information, ideas, or feelings, which can be complex in the sense that this is a broad term indicating both verbal and nonverbal communication s. These become more complex in the healthcare settings due to the very nature of the interactions being complex, charged with emotions, and related to very personal feelings and situations. All these may affect the process of communication, and knowledge, training, and practice on communication skills is thus necessary to effect a clinically effective interpersonal communication, specially between the provider and the recipient. It has been estimated that communication skills and relationships are important parameters of healthcare services, and the practice of midwifery is not an exception to that. By the term relationships, it is meant interrelationships between the care