Say it Loud and Clear: Mastering Communication Skills as a CNA

As a CNA, you are the primary point of care for a patient. To make sure your patient receives the best care possible, you must communicate well. Poor communication could lead to negative health outcomes for your patient. In this blog, we will go into detail on our top 7 tips for how to master communication skills as a CNA, which are:

1. When in doubt, over-communicate with your employer and patient
2. Develop a positive attitude
3. Focus on the patient's needs
4. Be an active listener
5. Avoid assumptions
6. Watch and learn from experienced CNAs
7. Practice communication skills in a safe environment

Tip #1: When in doubt, over-communicate with your employer and patient.

If you ever question if you should communicate something, always communicate. Sometimes you might be unsure if you should communicate. But as a rule of thumb, when in doubt, over-communicate with your employer and patient.

For example, if you will be 10 minutes late to work, and are unsure if you should let your patient know, let them know. It's better to let them know than to not.

Also, if you have a question about how to help your patient that you think your employer would have an answer to, ask. It's always better to be very sure than unsure about matters relating to your patient.

Tip #2: Develop a positive attitude.

Another tip we have is to develop a positive attitude. A positive attitude will create a more open atmosphere for communication.

When patients feel safe to express their feelings, they are more likely communicate. A positive attitude also helps to create an environment that is:

• Favorable to problem-solving
• Favorable to creative thinking

Both of these can help lead to better solutions. This is why it's important to have a positive attitude as a caregiver.

Tip #3: Focus on the patient's needs.

Our third tip is to focus on the patient's needs. Always make sure to stay patient-focused and use language that puts the patient at ease. To focus on the patient's needs, you can:

• Ask the patient how they are doing
• Ask the patient if a service you are providing is comfortable
• Ask the patient for feedback

This will allow the patient to feel you are listening to them. It also allows the patient to feel that you have met their needs. This is why it's important to focus on the patient's needs. 

Tip #4: Be an active listener.

Another tip we have is to be an active listener. Active listening means you will always pay attention to what your patient is saying. To do this, we recommend you:

• Make sure to provide feedback to your patient
• Ask questions if necessary
• Make sure to put aside thoughts about your personal life and carefully listen

If you are an active listener, when your patient expresses any concerns, you can be sure to attend to them. Active listening allows you to be sure to meet all your patients needs. This allows you to provide them the best possible care.

Tip #5: Avoid assumptions.

Another tip we have is to avoid assumptions. We recommend you don't assume what the patient:

• Wants
• Needs
• Thinks or
• Feels

Assuming any of these things can be harmful. For example, if you assume your patient is feeling fine, you may miss on providing care for them. Maybe you will assume they are fine, but in reality, they are very hungry. If you don't ask, you will never know. This is why it's important to  ask questions to get a better understanding of the situation. Never assume anything about your patient.

Tip #6: Watch and learn from experienced CNAs.

The 6th tip we have is to watch and learn from experienced CNAs. Experienced CNAs know how to care for patients well because they have worked the job for a while. If you work in a facility where other CNAs work, you can:

• Observe how they interact with patients
• Ask them for advice about a certain patient case

If you work in the home of a patient, and don't interact with other CNAs on a daily basis, you can:

• Ask your employer for the phone number of an experienced CNA so you can ask them your questions
• Turn to Google to find tips, such as from a blog, about how to provide the best care.

Learning from experienced CNAs will allow you to communicate better with your:

• Co-workers
• Clients &
• Patients

‍

Tip #7: Practice communication skills in a safe environment.

Our final tip is to practice communication skills in a safe environment. If you are unsure of how to handle certain requests from a client, ask a friend to help you practice. Practicing with a friend can help you learn:

• Empathy
• What an appropriate response is to a client request
• Questions your client might ask

This type of role-play can help you as a CNA understand how to communicate well. It would also

Conclusion

In conclusion, following the these 7 tips can help strengthen your communication skills:

1. When in doubt, over-communicate with your employer and patient
2. Develop a positive attitude
3. Focus on the patient's needs
4. Be an active listener
5. Avoid assumptions
6. Watch and learn from experienced CNAs
7. Practice communication skills in a safe environment 
   

Further, good communication skills are an essential part of being an effective caregiver. As a caregiver, you need to be able to communicate with:

• Your patient
• Your patient's family
• Other health care professionals.

Good communication helps to build trust and understanding. Good communication also helps to ensure that the CNA keeps a patient informed and updated on their:

• Condition
• Treatments
• Any changes that may be necessary

‍