My Hospital Visit In Surabaya,Indonesia

On my recent visit to (Rumah Sakit Universitas Airlangga)RSUA, a university hospital, I was immediately struck by the vibrancy of the atmosphere in the waiting area: patients of all ages and backgrounds were filling the space, creating a truly bustling environment typical of a busy teaching hospital.

The team consisted of doctors, nurses, administrative personnel, and the "doktor muda," or assistant students. I was supposed to observe communication in this setting. What was clear to me was the concise, emphatic language from the health professional. For instance, when the doctor had a conversation about the condition of the patient with the nurse, it is pretty obvious how well she could afford to ease any anxiety from her patient upon taking her vital signs.

However, it also showed glaring barriers to communication. There were so many patients whose expressive communication was severely impeded due to poor Indonesian vocabulary. Further hindrances may be because there is also a regional language variety, as not all the doctors or the patients are from East Java. Many people coming from places such as Jakarta or Kalimantan will not be able to understand that Javanese, and again those people belonging to Madura Island have altogether a different dialect of speaking. These differences have the potential for miscommunication that may challenge providing effective care. In response, doctors often used simple words and gestures on many occasions, and with the assistance of some translations, they got across important information.

Non-verbal communication developed trust and comfort. The positive cues were shared by all the healthcare professionals, including eye contact, leaning forward, smiling, and light touches. Another striking feature was effective communication among the health professionals. I observed brief consultations among nurses and doctors, all of which showed regard for each other's opinion, with a display of professionalism. The health staff also consulted with family members enquiring about the condition of their patients. The use of posters and brochures added to better comprehension, especially for those who understand more when reading than from verbal explanations.

One interesting observation was how staff modified their tone and style to suit their audience. With children, the healthcare professionals were cheerful and palsy-walsy, often speaking to them at their level. The tone for older adults was slower and more formal to make sure the information was clearly understood.

This experience showed the diversity in healthcare communication. Efficient communication requires the use of verbal and non-verbal, active listening, flexibility, and respect. I felt even small slips in communication would lead to significant misunderstanding or delay for definite care.

One of the touching moments was watching a doctor attempt to comfort a worried mother concerning her child's fever. His calm and clear explanations seemed to take away all her anxiety-a transformation through compassionate communication.

My visit also taught me how important healthcare communication is treating patients in the future. It is one of the fundamental skills we medical students must establish and be better with in order to become good doctors. This skill is actually vital in delivering the best,effective and efficient patient care.

Nevertheless, some of the challenges I noted were language barriers and, from time to time, miscommunication. I feel that cultural competency training and the use of translation technology could really aid in this multicultural environment.

This experience, like my many others in the hospital, again reflected how significant communication is in healthcare. Communication in healthcare is not about delivering and receiving information but gaining confidence, minimizing anxiety, and collaborating. This further enhanced my appreciation of the complex nature of health care communication and its significant consequences for patient outcomes.