Active Listening in Healthcare

Most of us think of ourselves as ‘good listeners’, and we might be, but we could aim much higher.

Active listening - listening attentively and responding empathically so a person feels heard (Levitt 2001) - should be the goal.

Active listening is a practised skill that requires intellectual and emotional focus.

Effective communication is, of course, necessary to all types of work. It could be argued, however, that in healthcare there is more to lose (such as a person’s life) in the event of poor communication.

A 2011 study by Dr Abraham Verghese, found on average when people sat down to talk to a doctor or nurse in the emergency department, they had roughly 15 seconds before they were interrupted(Verghese 2011 quoted by Ahern 2017).

This article will discuss the concept of active listening and provide you with steps to advance your listening and become a better communicator in and outside of your work.