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Published on: February 16, 2011

Use of non-verbal communication skills to improve nursing care

Simon Chambers1

  • 1Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust, West Ardsley Adult Training Centre, Tingley.

British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
|September 3, 2003
PubMed

This article describes non-verbal communication (NVC), its nursing assessment and its use with people who have a learning disability. A nursing diagnosis of altered non-verbal communication is outlined and a new wellness diagnosis is proposed of potential for enhanced non-verbal communication. The use and encouragement of non-verbal communication with people who have limited verbal comprehension is discussed. Nurses are considered an important focus for change; for enhancing a person's non-verbal skills, for improving their learning environment and for ultimately improving their social development.

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