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Communicating effectively using the TALKS mnemonic

Claire Leader - Author First published: Last updated:

Nurses are only too aware of the importance of communication and the impact that ineffective communication can have on workplace culture, psychological wellbeing and, ultimately, patient safety and the patient experience.

Patterson et al (2012) argued that the root cause of many of the issues we encounter is how we communicate when there is disagreement. The quality of our relationships at work, specifically with our managers, has a significant impact on our overall wellbeing (Griffeth et al, 2000). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2018)Code has effective communication interweaved within each of the four domains:

  1. Prioritise people
  2. Practise effectively
  3. Preserve safety
  4. Promote professionalism and trust.

Nurses have a professional obligation to communicate effectively with colleagues to ensure that we work cooperatively to preserve the safety of patients and to do this using the principles of honesty, accuracy and the promotion of an environment where we share feedback constructively (NMC, 2018).

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Claire Leader