Active

Listening

College of Nursing
Nursing Education Department
Academic Year 2023-2024
Learning Outcome

• By the end of this lecture,

the students will recognize
the meaning of of active
listening.
• Discuss its application to
the nursing practice.
Active Listening
• Listening is an important skill.

• Active listening is being fully engaged

while another person is talking to you.
• No communication process is complete
without listening
• Hearing and listening are not the same.
People often use these two words
interchangeably.
Types of Listening
1. Appreciative Listening
 It is a type of listening
behavior where the listener
seeks certain information
which they will appreciate and
meet his/her needs and goals.
 One uses appreciative listening
when listening to music, poetry
or the stirring words of a
speech.
2. Empathetic listening
 When we listen to a distressed
friend who wants to vent his
feelings, we provide emotional
and moral support in the form
of empathetic listening.
 When psychiatrists listen to
their patients, their listening is
classified as empathetic
listening
3.
Comprehensive
listening
 This type of listening is needed in the
classroom when students must listen to
the lecturer to understand and
comprehend the message.

 E.g. a nurse is taking a head-to-toe

assessment from a patient.

 Similarly, when someone is giving you

directions to find the location of a place,
comprehensive listening is required to
receive and interpret the message.
4. Critical listening
• When the purpose is to accept or
reject the message or to evaluate it
critically, one requires this type of
listening.
• For example: Listening to a salesperson
before making a purchase order

• Although all these types of listening

are important, we mainly involve
ourselves comprehensive and critical
listening.
Active Listening
Techniques
• Active listening techniques
include:
• Being fully present in the
conversation
• Showing interest by practicing
good eye contact
• Noticing (and using) non-verbal
cues
• Asking open-ended questions to encourage
further responses
• Paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been
said
• Listening to understand rather than to respond
• Withholding judgment and advice
Benefits of Active Listening
• Improved Communication: It helps to
create a better understanding
between the speaker and the listener,
leading to improved communication.

• Better Relationships: It can help to

build stronger relationships by
fostering trust and respect between
the speaker and the listener.
• Increased Productivity: It can help to
increase productivity by reducing
misunderstandings, clarifying expectations,
and improving problem-solving.

• Conflict Resolution: It is essential for

resolving conflicts, as it can help individuals
better understand each other’s perspectives
and find common ground.

• Personal Growth: It can help individuals to

develop their interpersonal skills, become
more empathetic, and gain a deeper
understanding of the people around them.
References
• McCorry, L. K., & Mason, J. (2020).
Communication Skills for the Healthcare
Professional, Enhanced Edition (2nd ed.).
Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Norman, K. (2019). Communication
Skills: For Nursing and Healthcare
Students. Lantern Publishing. ISBN:
9781908625786.
• Riley, J. B. (2023). Communication in
Nursing (10th Ed.). Elsevier. ISBN:
9780323871457.