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The study of communication is a vital part of understanding human behavior. Indeed, the concept of communication is an integral part of every profession, academic field, and of society as a whole. It is the basis upon which relationships are established. Despite the emphasis on effective communication, poor communication is often the cause of great misunderstanding and conflict
Occupational health nurses traditionally have been a part of collaborative interdisciplinary teams including the employer and employees (Wachs, 2005). This emphasis on interdisciplinary practice mandates an appreciation for and understanding of the importance of effective communicatioa The focus of this article is on effective communication among occupational health professionals, employees, and employers. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explore the key components necessary for effective communication and therapeutic relationships within the work environment
COMMUNICATION COMPONENTS
What is communication and what are the major components? Historically, hundreds of definitions and a variety of paradigms have been developed. What has come to be accepted as a basic assumption by communication experts is that communication is a process with no beginning or end (Heath, 1992). As such, it is continually occurring and constantly changing because no two interactions are ever the same. Communication builds on previous interactions and prompts ongoing communicatioa Indeed, a commonly accepted maxim is that "people cannot not communicate nor can they uncommunicate" (Heath, 1992, p. 32).
Early communication models viewed communication as a linear process. McQuail and Windahl (1981) discuss these models as a message going through a transmitter to a receiver. This model essentially explored who said what in which channel to whom and with what effect. Subsequent models described communication as messages that are encoded and decoded to send a signal (McQuail & Windahl, 1981). The emphasis in these models was on the shared experience between encoder and decoder, as well as the importance of feedback. These concepts currently have become key ingrethents in the development of interdisciplinary interactions and communication.
Human communication can best be described as a "two-way ongoing process by which a person or persons stimulates meaning in the mind of another person (or persons) through verbal and/or nonverbal messages" (Stone, Singletary, & Richmond, 1999, p. 53). This definition implies that there must be an exchange of ideas and...