Humanizing Health Care: Creating Cultures of Compassion With Nonviolent Communication

Health care regulatory agencies demand that patients receive efficient, competent, compassionate care; however, because of caregivers' own unhealed issues along with other factors, care often falls short of those goals. Melanie Sears, RN, MBA, PhD, leverages more than thirty years of nursing experience to look at what really prevents patients from getting the care they need and health care workers from getting the support needed to thrive in the stressful environment of health care. From domination-style management, fear and judgment-based practitioner relationships, and a poignant separation between physical, mental, and emotional care, the costs of these factors are enormous. Sears argues that the most effective way to evolve this problematic culture is to shift the language used by those providing care.

Melanie Sears, RN, MBA, PhD, has been a CNVC certified trainer since 1991. She works with businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, individuals, couples, and parents in transforming communication and interactions to ones that are more compassionate, conscious, and effective. Melanie presents Nonviolent Communication at conventions, at universities, and at churches. She has been interviewed on the radio and on television, and is the author of several titles, including the workbook Choose Your Words: Harnessing the Power of Compassionate Communication to Heal and Connect available at www.dnadialogues.com. Her presentations have been described as exciting, inspiring, educational, and transformative. Melanie says, “Everything is about communications. Any problem can be resolved within minutes when negative energy is transformed into caring connections.” Melanie has worked in most areas of health care as a Registered Nurse (RN), administrator, and supervisor for more than twenty-five years. She has observed common communication themes in each area she experienced. These themes adversely affected both patient and staff satisfaction, which resulted in increased operating costs, increased staff turnover, increased sick leave, and, in general, poor teamwork and lack of harmony. Melanie discovered that by shifting the communication patterns used, everything else shifted to create more positive outcomes for staff, patients, and administration. Melanie lives in a cohousing community in Seattle, Washington, close to her granddaughter. She retired from nursing in 2016 and now enjoys her days doing whatever she wants.