Communication in psychiatric health care

Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija definirala je kvalitetnu komunikaciju kao jednu od pet vještina neophodnih za zdrav i sretan život. Komunikacija je proces razmjene informacija s drugim ljudima koja se ostvaruje na dva načina: verbalno riječima i neverbalno gestama i mimikom lica. U zdravstvu je kvalitetna komunikacija s bolesnikom temelj uspješnog liječenja. Jedan od najvažnijih ishoda uspješne komunikacije medicinskog osoblja i bolesnika je stjecanje poštovanja, a time i povjerenja bolesnika u cijeli zdravstveni tim koji skrbi o njemu. Nadalje, davanje informacija bolesniku i poticanje da se aktivno uključi u vlastito liječenje daje mu osjećaj kontrole nad situacijom i vlastitim stanjem koje je često narušeno samom bolešću. Strpljivost, tolerantnost, humanost i odgovornost u radu najvažnije su odlike sestre koja se bavi duševnim bolesnicima, pri čemu ne smije zaboraviti poštivanje ljudskih prava psihijatrijskog bolesnika (pravo na dostojanstvo, pravo na informaciju, povjerljivost medicinske dokumentacije).The World Health Organisation has defined quality communication as one of the five skills necessary for a healthy and happy life. Communication is the process of exchanging information with other people that can be accomplished in two ways: verbally and nonverbally (gestures and facial expressions). In health care, quality communication with the patient is the foundation of a successful treatment. One of the most important outcomes of effective communication of medical staff and patients is gaining respect, and thus the confidence of patients in the entire medical team who take care of him. Furthermore, providing information to the patient and encouraging him to become actively involved in his own treatment, gives him a sense of control over the situation and his own condition, which is often marred by the disease. Patience, tolerance, humanity and responsibility in their work are the most important characteristics of nurses dealing with mental patients, whereby they must not forget to respect the human rights of psychiatric patients (the right to human dignity, right to the information, confidentiality of medical records)