As a healthcare worker, you might interact with patients, family members, supervisors, managers, your own employees, and professionals from across roles and disciplines. Across these interactions, building relationships will be crucial to improving your patient care and work environment. Whether you work as a nurse, medical assistant, pharmacist, physician assistant or in any other healthcare profession, you need effective communication, trust, and collaboration. If you want to enhance your patient interactions or strengthen your connections with colleagues, this blog post will provide valuable tips for cultivating meaningful relationships in the healthcare industry.
1. Show Empathy and Compassion
When you interact with patients, put yourself in their shoes. Acknowledge their emotions and fears. This helps facilitate trust, openness, and effective communication. Likewise, when a coworker comes to you with a concern or frustration, consider their perspective and experience before responding. Be thoughtful in how you handle these interactions. By being understanding, you increase the likelihood that people will continue to come to you when issues arise.
2. Tailor Your Communication
Avoid using medical jargon or complex terminology when communicating with patients. Instead, use easily understandable language that accounts for factors like background, age, and health literacy. Break down complex information into simpler terms and provide relevant examples and visual aids where possible. To assess patient understanding, ask them to repeat or paraphrase what you told them. Similarly, when communicating with colleagues, consider their expertise level on the topic and adjust your language accordingly.
3. Practice Active Listening
When someone is talking to you, give them your full attention. Maintain eye contact, nod to show understanding, and avoid interrupting. To ensure mutual understanding, summarize what was said. Listening to people’s concerns and validating their experiences will establish trust. Patients will feel heard and supported, while your teammates will appreciate your willingness to hear their opinions or guidance.
4. Ask Open-Ended Questions
Instead of asking questions that elicit a simple yes or no, use open-ended questions to encourage others to express themselves more fully. This will help you more deeply understand the concerns, needs, and expectations of your patients and coworkers.
5. Respect Patient Autonomy
Respecting patient autonomy is essential for strong patient relationships. Involve patients in their care decisions, and explain treatment options, risks, and benefits. Encourage them to ask questions, express their preferences, and actively participate in their healthcare journey. By respecting their autonomy and involving them in decision-making, you empower patients and improve their healthcare experience.
6. Be a Team Player
Healthcare professionals need to coordinate and share information to be effective. This requires teamwork and a mutual sense of respect. You can help create a culture of collaboration by communicating pertinent patient information, actively listening to your coworkers, and pitching in when one of your colleagues needs a hand. Try also to acknowledge the expertise of the people around you. Actively seek opportunities to learn from others and to share your knowledge in ways that benefit the team.
7. Watch Non-Verbal Cues
Be mindful of your non-verbal cues like facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. Aim to maintain an open and approachable posture, convey warmth through your facial expressions, and speak in a friendly and reassuring tone. Non-verbal communication can greatly impact how people perceive you and the things you say. The right non-verbal cues can help people feel more comfortable, supported, and heard during interactions with you. Additionally, watch the non-verbal cues and body language of others to better understand how they are feeling or responding.
8. Be Attentive and Responsive
Reliability builds confidence in your abilities. For people to see you as dependable, you’ll need to respond promptly to needs and requests from your patients and team. Fulfill your responsibilities and commitments, meet deadlines, and communicate effectively regarding potential challenges. For example, if you or your team cannot address an issue immediately, provide an estimated timeframe for assistance. You can also show attentiveness by proactively anticipating the needs of others and always following up with patients after significant procedures, treatments, or hospitalizations. These actions will demonstrate your dedication to their well-being and reinforce the importance of the provider-patient relationship.
9. Stay Mindful of Boundaries
Appropriate professional boundaries are vital in healthcare. Understand the boundaries between your role as a healthcare professional and the personal lives of your patients and colleagues. Respect privacy and confidentiality, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential. Clear boundaries pave the way for trust, respect, and professionalism.
10. Seek Feedback and Continuous Improvement
Seek feedback regularly to improve your interactions with others and your communication skills. Ask patients for input on their care experience and identify areas for improvement. Engage in open and constructive conversations with your coworkers and managers, welcoming their insights and suggestions. By actively seeking feedback, you demonstrate a commitment to growth and improvement and foster an environment of trust and collaboration.
Building Stronger Relationships in Your Healthcare Career
Connecting with patients and colleagues is a cornerstone of a successful healthcare career. By following the tips above for your professional relationships, you can provide more compassionate care, form deeper bonds with your teammates, contribute to a positive workplace culture, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
If you’re interested in growing your technical knowledge and skills along with your communication and professional skills, consider one of the degree programs in Healthcare, Nursing, Public Health, or Pharmacy available at South University.*
*South University does not promise or guarantee employment.
