Build rapport with patients, families and healthcare teams

Communicate with patients and families to deliver care and facilitate understanding of patients’ needs, taking into consideration cultural context of patients and their families

Identify barriers to communication and escalate to relevant personnel

Engage in effective verbal communication and active listening skills

Check effectiveness of communication and adapt accordingly

Document written, electronic and verbal communication clearly

Secure patient privacy, security and confidentiality in communication provided

Explain patients’ results and nursing care plans in a clear and concise manner

Explain nursing care plans, goals and discharge plans with patients and/or caregivers

Document communication delivered to patients in accordance with organisational policy

Apply therapeutic techniques when communicating to patients to understand their needs

Escalate changes in condition in timely manner to relevant personnel

Conduct effective handover of care

Use appropriate communication techniques to convey results, expected goals and outcomes to patients, families and healthcare teams

Guide junior staff on using appropriate therapeutic and patient- centred communication techniques

Use effective communication techniques to convey results, expected goals and outcomes to patients, families and healthcare team

Adapt verbal and non- verbal communication accordingly in challenging situations or situations that involve multiple and/or competing interests

Use appropriate interviewing skills when conducting health assessment

Use effective nurse- doctor and/or interpersonal communication skills

Communicate and/or escalate emergency situations effectively to relevant personnel

Use documentation tools including Problem, Intervention, Evaluation (PIE) to record patient care

Use communications tools including Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) and “Read Back”, for better patient safety

Develop guides for staff in communicating with patients and/or caregivers

Establish communications channels to address broad spectrum of healthcare communication needs

Guide or manage challenging patients and/or caregivers and inter-professional communication

Use open communication techniques to defuse adverse situations

Conduct patient and/or caregiver and/or family conferences

Evaluate effectiveness of communication for critical situations

Establish multi-media systems for effective nursing communications

Lead in complex patient and/or caregiver and/or family conferences

Use open disclosure techniques for events with adverse outcomes