Self-Interview Critique Sample Article
Introduction
Good communication skills are required for virtually all kinds of communication where the main intent of any communication is usually about passing across messages and meaning. With communication, forming a critical aspect of interpersonal relationships and interaction possessing and applying the right communication skills will make the difference between efficient and non-efficient communication (Bourque & Fielder, 2003). There are many forms of communication including interviews; this paper will however dwell on the interview mode of communication as applied in the health assessment interview as part of the practical nursing curriculum. The following is communication critique of the mentioned interview recording featuring the student as the interviewer and a respondent. This paper assesses the effectiveness of communication in the interview in terms of application of proper interview communication skills on the part of the interviewer (student) and the respondent as well (with more focus on the interviewer)
To start with, as required in all face-to-face interviews such as the one in consideration, the sitting position is of importance to the overall outcome of the interview. In this case, the interviewer has managed to come up with the correct sitting position and distance in that she is not too far or close to the respondent. The sitting position is also correct since the respondent and the interviewer are not sitting next or opposite to each other, instead they seat adjacent to each other. This is important since sitting directly opposite to each other is can lead to intimidation or timidity in shy personalities (respondents) what sitting next and so close or far from each other might create some awkwardness and hamper communication. In terms of location, the interview takes place in a secluded room away from any form of distraction and noise. These above aspects are important since effective communication is not all about the verbal aspects of communication.
In the interview, the interviewer makes sure that she first develops a rapport with the interviewee. This by itself is a good practice in communication since it serves to help both the interviewee and the interviewer to break the ice as well as obtain a common ground on the subject or matter at hand. In this case, the interviewer introduces herself to the interviewee and makes known the purpose of the interview. This goes a long way in psychologically preparing both parties in the interview in that both know what to expect. Another visible aspect of good communication practice in the interview is the maintenance of eye contact with the respondent. Throughout the interview, the interviewer maintains reasonable eye contact with the respondent an action that is non-verbal but goes a long way in maintaining attention and confidence in both parties. Still on the aspects of non-verbal communication, the interviewer at times fidgets with her pen and question papers a non-verbal action that might end up distracting the respondent especially when done frequently and for a long time.
Since the main aim of a an interview is the collection of information by use of question and also the analysis of non-verbal means of communication, it therefore means that the kind of question asked will ultimately determine the outcome of the interview. In the case of the interview in consideration, the questions asked are in line with the subject of interview, which is ideally a health assessment interview. The questions are relevant to the objective of the interview and are arranged in a logical chronology relevant to the subject and objective of the interview. By listening to the questions and the response from the respondent, it is evident that the interview questionnaire underwent proper and careful designing. For instance, the interviewer has avoided open-ended questions that can have more than one answer thus reducing clarity. She has also avoided the use of leading questions that lead the responded to the truth or a given answer. However it is sometimes not clear whether all the questions asked by the interviewer are part of the interview questionnaire, this is maybe out of the need for supportive questions posed to clarify some points and information.
Another good communication practice in the recorded interview is the aspect of note taking as well as recording of the interview by the interviewer. This is important since critical information obtained in the interview process needs recording or writing down for future purposes in other processes. For instance, it would be meaningless if all they did in the interview was only about asking and answering questions without making use of the collected information. In relation to the duration of the interview, a typical interview ought not to be more than 30 minutes. For this reason, the duration of the interview (26 minutes from the video length) is not that short and thus incase the respondent had a shorter attention span the interview would not be as smooth as it was. This aspect coupled with the amount of detail required of the questions suggests that the interviewer should work towards shortening the interview duration to gourd against respondents with short attention span.
The verbal nature of the interview in consideration means that listening skills are critical to the overall outcome of the interview process. Both the interviewer and the respondent must actively listen to each other if they are to make sense of the interview. In this case, the respondent is quite a good listener since she understood most of the questions and managed to answer back as required. On the other hand, the interviewer is also a good listener in that she managed to understand the respondent’s answers without difficulty at all times indicating that she is an active and good listener. Also in relation to attitude, the interviewer and the respondent displayed an open-minded attitude whereby both were respectful and cordial towards each other. This went ahead to provide a win-win situation for both parties. The choice of language in communication was also considered in the interview in that the respondent is originally from Turkey but is proficient in English just like the interviewer. This is so since if the respondent had a problem with communicating in English then the entire outcome of the interview would have been different especially without the use of an interpreter or language aid.
Conclusions
A critical analysis of the entire interview process reveals a successful interview process that went well thanks to the communication skills of the interviewer and respondent. Though the interview was more informal than formal, the interview is indeed in line with most of the interview guidelines. Of great importance is the fact that the overall objective of the interview process was achieved (i.e.) a health assessment on the respondent.
References
Bourque, L., & Fielder, E. P. (2003). How to Conduct Self-Administered and Mail Surveys. SAGE.