BCH Listens: Tools
'Listening Is the Very Essence and Touchstone of the Services BCH Provides' – PFAC Member
Unlike hearing, listening is a skill that improves with conscious effort and practice. At it's essence, listening effectively can be as simple as taking a breath before you enter a patient's room or enter a new meeting or situation.
BCH Spiritual Care Manager has also created a new tool to help us listen more effective, called P-A-R.
P-A-R Technique
P- Pause and breathe before all of our interactions.
A- Assess for the mood and the tone what's happening in the room.
R- Respect the person by responding and reflecting what is occuring in each encounter.
Heart-Head-Heart Technique
When busy and task-oriented, it can be hard at times to simultaneously communicate your compassion.
Try using the Heart-Head-Heart Technique:
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Your first communication is from the HEART.
- ("I care about you. I want to help.")
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Your second communication is from the HEAD - rational and objective information
sharing or decision-making.
- ("What are we going to do to fix this problem?")
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The final communication is once again from the HEART.
- ("I care about you, and I want to help.")
- Both HEAD and HEART messages are important.