What You
didn’t learn in
nursing school:
What You Didn't Learn in Nursing School: The Root of All Communication
the root of all
communication
By Aislynn Moyer, DNP, RN
Director, Professional Development
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
CE: 1.0 contact hours
PSNA is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
The planners and author for this continuing education activity have declared they have no conflict of interest.
Whether you have been a nurse one day, one year or are finishing your third decade, communication is a major part
of your practice. As health care professionals, we are taught that communication is essential with our colleagues as well
as our patients. We know that lack of communication is the leading cause of errors in all types of health care environments (Haynes & Strickler, 2014). So why is communication still a challenge? The answer may be because we have yet
to truly understand the root of all communication: our personality. The earlier in our professional practice that we
understand this link, the more effective our communication can be.
The Personality Challenge
Each person has a unique personality. Some tend to be timid and shy. Others are outgoing and assertive. Some like
to keep their feelings to themselves, while others wear their feelings on their sleeve. Many assessments are available
to help individuals better understand their unique personality. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one such assessWinter 2014 Pennsylvania Nurse 4