[To be on speaking terms: how to reach a satisfactory communication in nursing care].

Communication with patients and their relatives as well as with colleagues is an integrated part of nursing profession. In order to reach a satisfactory communication, nurses should be aware of some elementary psychological principles of social interaction. Prejudices, misunderstandings, stress, opposed characters and mentalities are often raising problems, which can only be overcome by one manner: to be on speaking terms. But how good are we in talking to and dealing with each other? What do patients require for their well-being besides an optimum medication? What is the impact of both human relations and social backgrounds on the process of convalescence? Discussing these questions and feasible answers, the conclusion has to be drawn, that there are indeed some options, which facilitate a satisfactory communication.