Universal Language
It's not so much what you say, it's how you say it: Awareness of nonverbal communication can provide a crucial edge wherever you interact

By Cathryn Domrose
February 4, 2002

You have just seven seconds to make that first impression, according to Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News Channel and co-author of You Are the Message. Those seven seconds may or may not include spoken words, but they certainly include impressions from nonverbal communication.

So how can you put this information to work for you? By becoming more aware of your own and others' nonverbal behavior, you can help to improve your work environment and career mobility.

Tomorrow, when you walk into your nursing unit, pretend you are there for a first interview. What are your first impressions about the people you work with every day? Is this a place where you can do your best work? Does the unit clerk greet you with a smile? Is your charge nurse accessible to her staff?

Chances are that their body language will give you all the clues you need to size up the environment and more.

Whether on a conscious or subconscious level, communication experts agree that most self-expression is conveyed through nonverbal messages.

Social psychologist Albert Mehrabian found that 55 percent of a first impression is based on appearance (dress, grooming, body language, etc.), 38 percent on the way we sound (the tone and pitch of our voice, accent, etc.) and just 7 percent on what we have to say.

Ask any nurse recruiter what they look for in job candidates and "excellent communication skills" will likely top the list. Most would agree that whether you get the job could hinge on your body language-a critically important aspect of how well you express yourself.

Behavioral clues
Karen DeLavan, senior recruiting consultant for Texas Health Resources, looks to a candidate's face for behavioral clues.

"Are they scowling or smiling? Watching how a person behaves in the lobby when they don't know you're looking is one way to determine whether this is someone who is approachable to patients and their families," she said. "I look for a nice open look."

Although DeLavan said she does not rely exclusively on nonverbal cues, they are a valuable part of her total assessment.

Committed to fostering a positive hospital environment for new grads, DeLavan uses the interview process to measure their enthusiasm and excitement about the prospect of learning all they can by becoming a practicing nurse. For seasoned nurses, continuing excitement about the profession and their role also can give clues to their suitability for the position.

As senior deputy director of nursing services at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, Calif., Occeletta Briggs, MA, RN, offers this advice: "Effective communicators are in demand for positions in all areas of nursing. In our hospital, we embrace the team concept in providing patient care, so nurses are expected to be good team players to meet the basic demands of the job."

Briggs also measures a candidate's listening skills during interviews and whether what is verbalized matches their body language.

"When one of my staff tells me that someone is not communicating with them, I tell them that is not possible," she said. "People are always communicating on some level, and nonverbal is a communications mainstay. I also look at the distance one places between themselves and another when interacting."

National placement recruiter Joel Nevins, MA, agrees with the concept of honoring nonverbal cues. But as president of the Sebastian, Fla.-based AmeriNurse, Nevins initially interviews candidates by telephone. "As a result, telephone etiquette-and thus verbal cues-are most important at first," Nevins said.

Learning to communicate well on the telephone is also a requisite on the unit, when talking to patients, families and other health care professionals. With the volume and variety of calls received there, developing this skill is essential. The tone, inflection and volume of voice will influence the way a person receives any message.

For example, a cheery tone of voice is welcomed and generally comes across as positive, while shouting or speaking rapidly can block communication.

Nonverbal cues key
After the telephone interviews, Nevins said good recruiters will prepare candidates extensively for the in-person interview, during which nonverbal cues then become key to landing the job.

Ashton Medina, MBA, RN, director of Medical Management Resource Group, an affiliate of Discharge Resource Group, a South San Francisco-based hiring firm, focuses on the face of a potential candidate during the interview process.

"When I interview someone, I look on them as a client would. Are they on time, dressed appropriately, ready for work with appropriate tools, paper and pencil? Do they make eye contact and have a firm handshake? And, as corny as it may be, a smile sets the stage for pleasant interaction even if the information is less than pleasant."

As licensed professionals accustomed to demonstrating job performance skills, nurses do not hesitate to give themselves high marks when evaluating their own technical competencies.

But we stop short when it comes to taking a critical look at our own communication style and body language.

Body language is universal: We all speak it. Still, the importance of nonverbal behavior is often overlooked. One area where this frequently occurs is that of transcultural nursing. Paula LeVeck, Ph.D., RN, director of Wellness Works!, developed and teaches the transcultural nursing course at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock. The course stresses the importance of understanding customs that might differ from one's own in order to provide better nursing care. Gestures acceptable in the United States, for example, may be offensive to those from other cultures.

'Contact culture'
Understanding "contact cultures" (people who interact at closer distances) and "noncontact cultures" may help nurses honor cultural distinctions while providing patient care.

Cultural anthropologist Edward Hall identified Arabs, Latin Americans and southern Europeans as examples of contact cultures, while noncontact cultures include Asians, North Americans and northern Europeans.

LeVeck finds that the best tool in helping students overcome barriers to effective communication is the opportunity to watch themselves on videotape. She was astonished when a friend pointed out her own distracting habit of sniffing at the end of sentences when she made an important point.

"Be sensitive to what is going on around you," said Carol Gunther, Ph.D., adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco College of Professional Studies.

Gunther, who frequently teaches communication classes to nurses and other hospital staff, also suggests developing an awareness of your own communication style and use of body language to help identify your strong and weak points, as well as ways to develop or change them.

Whether pursuing that dream job, or seeking harmony and fulfillment in an existing work setting, an awareness of both nonverbal and verbal messages will give you an edge wherever you interact, and may be just the key to jump-starting your career.