In the field of healthcare, communication is not merely a “soft skill”; it is regarded as a human-centered, healing, and protective force.
Emphasizing that the relationship established by healthcare professionals with patients directly affects the treatment process, Communication Specialist Şaban Özdemir said, “I see communication in healthcare as part of the treatment. Healthcare professionals should not deprive their patients, clients, and those who need them of this treatment method.”
An event titled “Effective Speaking, Oratory, and Making Oneself Heard” was organized by the Perfusion Club, operating within Üsküdar Üniversitesi's Health, Culture and Sports (SKS) Department. Communication Specialist Şaban Özdemir was a guest at the event. It was highlighted that communication in healthcare is not merely a “soft skill”; it is a human-centered, healing, and protective force.
In the interview, which garnered significant interest from students in the field of healthcare, Özdemir stated that the relationship established by healthcare professionals with patients directly affects the treatment process, and that strong communication increases the patient's sense of trust, which is an important factor triggering the placebo effect.
Patients expect an expression full of compassion…
Stating that a significant portion of violence incidents in healthcare arise from communication mishaps, Özdemir said that patients often seek a compassionate voice, a calm tone, and a sense of being understood before medical information.
Özdemir continued, “Today, a significant portion of the violence incidents in healthcare occur due to communication mishaps. Of course, there are also systemic shortcomings; if we set those aside, I want to emphasize this especially because you are healthcare professionals. I believe strong communication in healthcare has a placebo effect. Patients are awaiting a voice from the lips of healthcare personnel, an expression full of compassion and reassurance. In healthcare, patients should not be seen merely as cases. You might have the latest technological devices, you might be working in well-equipped healthcare complexes, but merely prescribing will not go beyond giving a chemical or a drug. I see communication in healthcare as part of the treatment. We should not deprive our patients, clients, and those who need us of this.”
Breath, our greatest ammunition!
Highlighting that a large part of communication is established not with words, but with body language, tone of voice, and intonation, Özdemir stated that approximately 90% of communication occurs beyond words.
“The most accurate intonation is to give the word its semantic due,” said Özdemir, stating that the emotion of a word can only be conveyed with the correct sound, tone, and emphasis.
Özdemir said, “Breath is our greatest ammunition. We must use breath correctly, economically, and sparingly. You need to pass the air you inhale through your throat, carry the vibration in your vocal cords to the mask area, and resonate it. When you carry the sound here, your voice spreads over a larger volumetric area, resonates more beautifully, and your vocal cords are not overstrained; you can speak easily and for a long time without effort or fatigue. The reason many teachers experience problems like vocal cord nodules is actually their inability to take diaphragmatic breaths correctly and overloading their vocal cords by not using breath properly. Announcers, presenters, and people who constantly work with their voices do not strain their vocal cords too much. This is because they carry the sound to the mask area and perform the correct intonation there.”
Positive approach strengthens communication
Emphasizing the importance of sincerity in communication, Özdemir continued:
“Just like people's tongues, their brains also speak. As our esteemed Professor Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized, there are mirror neurons in the brain. If there is sincerity in communication, brains also interact. As we understand, get to know, and trust each other, it might sound bold, but you truly start to become one, to be singular. This allows me to anticipate the reaction the person in front of me might give; because they trust you, they open themselves up to you. You become alike… Communication flows sincerely. Communication, in a sense, is an exchange of intentions in this context. When the intention is clear and sincere, energy emerges, and the energy of two people turns into synergy. I am a positive person by nature; I love being positive. Being positive also determines the course of communication and increases its power. My greatest fuel is being positive, positive energy. This is actually one of the fundamental rules of communication life: the effort to remain positive and to be positive…”
Excitement must be managed correctly…
Addressing the topics of stage fright and excitement during the program, Özdemir highlighted that excitement is not a feeling to be suppressed, but rather an energy that fuels success when directed correctly, emphasizing the importance of accurately conveying excitement through voice, body language, and facial expressions.
Pen-speaking exercise and the power of breath
Şaban Özdemir conveyed the “pen technique” he uses for articulation and diction exercises with examples from his own life, emphasizing that correct breathing is the most fundamental element that protects and strengthens the voice. Özdemir stated that diaphragmatic breathing and carrying the voice to the mask area are vital for healthy and effective communication, especially for healthcare professionals and educators.
Students showed great interest
The event, held at the Ibn Sina Auditorium of Üsküdar Üniversitesi NP Health Campus, was moderated by Prof. Dr. Ali Kocailik, Head of the Department of Perfusion, Faculty of Health Sciences.
The program, which received great interest from students, concluded interactively with a question-and-answer session.
At the end of the program, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Özdemir…