Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
A Model for Effective Nonverbal Communication between Nurses and Older Patients: A Grounded Theory Inquiry
Esther L Wanko Keutchafo1, Jane Kerr1, Olivia B Baloyi1
1School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa.
Abstract:
Nonverbal communication is an inevitable art to be effectively mastered by nurses. Nurse nonverbal communication has many benefits when it is effective. For instance, nonverbal communication is important to convey affective and emotional information, and demonstrate respect for and build therapeutic relationships with older patients. As the older population is growing fast worldwide, effective nonverbal communication with older patients is an essential skill for nurses and will improve patients' satisfaction and the quality of care. Therefore, this article presents a model to guide effective nonverbal communication between nurses and older patients. A Grounded Theory approach guided the study. Data were collected between July 2018 and January 2020 through overt participant observations and individual interviews. Purposive and theoretical sampling were used to select 13 clinically experienced nurses, 4 nursing students, and 8 older adults. Data analysis encompassed open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The results showed that effective nonverbal communication emerged as the co-phenomenon hinged within context and/or environment and is influenced by certain factors. This model, which is in support of person-centered communication and care, advocates for effective nonverbal communication between nurses and older patients.
Related Concept Videos
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II
Communication between nurses and...
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Levels of Communication I: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Small Group
We can participate in these relationships through verbal, nonverbal, and mediated communication. We engage in verbal communication when we use words during our interaction to convey specific meanings. On the other hand, nonverbal communication refers to various factors that can impact how we understand each other—for example, facial expressions.
We interact with others using mediated technologies like the...
Role of Communication in the Nursing Process II: Planning and Implementation

