ABSTRACT
Communication skills are key to every area of healthcare. This chapter is based on an assumption that the vast majority of healthcare professionals would want nothing less than to be experienced by their patients as communicating compassionately and effectively. As nurses gain experience and seniority, there is an expectation that they will handle increasingly difficult and complex communication with patients and colleagues. Cancer is a serious and potentially life-limiting disease. The distress and worry caused by dealing with cancer can also lead to significantly increased risk of a clinical anxiety and/or depression in both the short and long term. Behaviours which inhibit the patient from expressing their emotions and disclosing their concerns are known as blocking and distancing behaviours. The chapter discusses the key skills and principles underpinning effective and compassionate communication and the importance of using these purposefully and in the context of an interview structure. Working in a patient-centred way has benefits for the healthcare professional.
