Chapter 8 - Communication Apprehension

      Communication apprehension (McCornack, 2019, p. 225) is the fear or anxiety associated with interaction, which keeps someone from being able to communicate cooperatively.  The author furthers that to overcome this apprehension, develop a communication plan and consider plan contingencies.

     I suspect many see and experience communication apprehension daily.  Two days ago, I took part in a nursing school simulation where five nursing students completed a simulated visit to a home to offer care.  The scenario assigned roles, provided a scenario, and asked us to formulate a plan and complete the simulation.  Most of the team displayed a level of “fear” and anxiety with the simulation; we became inarticulate, our working vocabulary was reduced, and we nervously exchanged eye contact with one another, and not with the simulated patient.  A steep learning curve had us off our game.

     We struggled to develop a communication plan even though our instructor emphasized that a plan was key and its importance reiterated.  We struggled to apply our knowledge and skills to a difficult patient and home situation.  My day of nursing scenarios highlighted how hard to it is to overcome communication apprehension.  We understood that a plan with contingencies was important and expected.  We did not implement our plan or expected contingencies well but this was our first attempt.

     We experienced a delta between thinking about verbal communication and doing that communication.  Listening can be hard but effectively overcoming communication apprehension can be very hard.  Practice and assessment will help us to overcome communication apprehension.

Our communication apprehension centered on effectively explaining glucose monitoring and insulin injections to a blind patient with no English skills and no money to pay for insulin.

McCornack, S. (2019). Reflect and relate: An introduction to interpersonal communication. Boston: Bedford.