We engage in a variety of interactions with people every day whether at work or elsewhere. We build opinions based on their verbal and nonverbal contact during interactions. According to Riley (2017), “when our verbal message does not match our posture, tone of voice, body language, or facial expression, client or coworkers decode the disparate information as two dissimilar messages.” (p.87).
Once when I arrived to work ten minutes late during a shift change.
My colleague casually asked me the reason for being late. Even though I was late because I had left late from home, I explained that it was because of the heavy traffic on the way.
My facial expressions did not seem to go along with what I was saying, and I could not maintain eye contact. She was rolling her eyes, though, so it appeared as though she could tell that my spoken message and body language were not coordinated.
Our vocal communication can be planned; however, our nonverbal communication can reveal concealed facts. By analyzing a person’s body language or the manner they transmit a message, we can ascertain whether they are telling us the truth (Riley, J.B, 2017).
2. Discrepancies between you and the external world:
We occasionally come across circumstances with which we disagree. However, we keep moving forward, accepting the discrepancies.
For instance, in nursing, documentation is critical; however, keeping the paperwork up to date takes away time from bedside nursing.
Additionally, the workload can be excessive, sometimes compromising patient care quality.
A nurse must care for sick people, so she should spend more time at the bedside rather than documenting. I understand that documentation is essential, but it can be planned more straightforwardly, taking less time and leaving more time to provide patient-centered care.
3. Discrepancies between you and the client:
Making others aware of their behavior’s destructiveness or lack of productivity is the first step in confrontation. The second is offering suggestions for how they may conduct themselves more constructively or productively. At the same time, we know some people tend to argue when challenged.
As a result, we do not want to discuss their behaviors. People encounter problems because of their misdirected actions/behavior; at this moment, we might regret not discussing the destructive behavior before (J.B. Riley, 2017).
According to Riley (2017), confrontation can be done in such a way that the other person does not feel offended and will also appreciate your opinion.
If I would have a dispute with my client at any time, I would first listen to what my client has to say, then clarify the problematic behavior and explain why I believe this behavior is the issue—additionally making a polite request to change the behavior and making a respectful suggestion in a way that the client is not offended.
Finally, I would encourage the client to change their behavior by emphasizing the positive consequences of changing or the negative implications (J.B. Riley, 2017)
Reference
Riley, J.B. (2017). Communication in Nursing: Learning confrontation skills. (8th Ed.). Elsevier.
