Am I a good communicator?

Posted bynivashniponnenPosted inUncategorized

Communication skills are vital in any work setting however they are even more so in the health discipline where the patient’s health is influenced on how the multi-disciplinary team communicate with each other. Communication skills not only include verbal skills such as talking to other team members but also written skills in note writing. Communication does not just take place between one therapist to another but also between the therapist and patient.

I have not yet acquired the best communication skills. I definitely want to sharpen and improve this fundamental skill in order to provide the best treatment to patients. As a student I often feel intimidate when communicating with other members of the MDT, however I learnt and have seen how beneficial it can be to the patient if there is good communication between the MDT which promotes a flowing harmonisation where treatment from each medical practitioner complements the other.

This week I will share with you the treatment session done with one of my patients. A bit of background on the patient before we continue, her diagnosis is a left CVA (therefore she is a right hemiplegic). When planning what to do as treatment I looked at all the assessment findings and problem statements. After determining what performance skills the patient is lacking in, I looked for a functional activity that will get the patient to work on those problem areas. I decided on upper limb dressing as it will aid in empowering the patient with autonomy if she perform it independently. The session did not go as well as I hoped due to me not being familiar enough with the hemiplegic dressing methods. I now see how important it is for an activity to have a successful end, even if assistance is provided by the therapist.

I ran a paraplegic group this week. The focus of the session was to improve arm strength which is very important in self propelling in a wheelchair. We performed various stretches with weight bands put on the wrists to increase resistance, weight lifting, throwing the ball to each other as well as hitting it with a stick. I realised though the patients valued the talking aspect of the group, where they had the opportunity to ask questions and share their knowledge and experiences with each other.

I learnt the importance of activity analysis. The dreaded activity analysis has come back to haunt us from first year. By breaking the activity down and knowing what is required of the patient to perform the activity it will help with determining the correct treatment principles. I will definitely start to dissect activities. Research and practice of the treatment is important ! As a therapist it is important to be confident and not dawdle with the patient !

As Bret Morrison said : “Of all the life skills available to us, communication is perhaps the most empowering.” I am looking forward to how my journey through this year will help shape my communication skills !

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