Stoma care: exploring the value of effective listening

This article discusses how nurses can effectively utilize listening skills during interactions with patients. Listening is a core skill for all healthcare professionals with studies demonstrating that nurses perceive themselves to be much less skillful in the use of facilitative interpersonal skills which involve listening than practitioner centred authoritative ones. Listening effectively allows nurses to respond more completely to patients' needs but there are many obstacles which unfortunately can interfere with this process. Stoma care nurses utilize listening skills to ensure that both the physical and psychological needs of their patients are met. The author suggests that listening skills can enhance intuitive nursing practice.