Chapter 4: Communication and Cultural Diversity Flashcards
Barriers to communication
- Resident does not hear you, does not hear correctly or does not understand.
- Resident is difficult to understand
- Message uses words receiver does not understand
- Using slang confuses the message
- Avoid using cliches
- Asking “why” makes the resident defensive
- Giving advice is inappropriate
- Yes/no answers end a conversation
- Resident speaks a different language
- Nonverbal communication changes the message.
Ways to make communication accurate
- Be a good listener
- Provide feedback as you listen
- Bring up topics of concern
- Let some pauses happen
- Tune in to other cultures
- Accept a resident’s religion of lack of religion
- Understand the importance of touch
- Ask for more
- Make sure communication aids are clean and in good working order
How to develop effective interpersonal relationships
- Avoid changing the subject when your resident is discussing something
- Do not ignore a resident’s request
- Do not talk down to and elderly or disabled person or child
- Sit near the person who started the conversation
- Lean forward in your chair when someone is speaking to you
- Talk directly to the person whom you are assisting
- Approach the person who is talking
- Put yourself in other peoples shoes
- Show residents’ families and friends that you have time for them, too
Objective information (signs)
based on what you see, hear, touch or smell (collected by using the senses)
Subjective information (symptoms)
something you cannot or did not observe, but is based on something the resident reported to you that may or may not be true.
Incontinence
the inability to control the bladder or bowels.
Things that should be reported to the charge nurse immediately
anything that endangers residents:
- falls
- chest pain
- severe headache
- trouble breathing
- abnormal pulse, respiration or bp
- change in mental status
- sudden weakness or loss of mobility
- high fever
- loss of consciousness
- change in level of consciousness
- bleeding
- change in resident’s condition
- bruises, abrasions or other signs of possible abuse
Medical Chart
- admission sheet
- medical history
- doctor’s orders
- progress notes
- test results
- graphic sheet
- nurse’s notes
- flow sheets aka ADL sheet
Incident reporting and recording
An incident is an accident or unexpected event during the course of care.
- state and federal guidelines require incidents to be recorded in an incident report.
impairment
loss of function or ability, it can be partial or complete loss
cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke
caused when the blood supply to the brain is cut off suddenly by a clot or a ruptured blood vessel. Without blood, part of the brain gets no oxygen. This causes brain cells to die. Brain tissue is further damaged by leaking blood, clots and swelling. Strokes can be mild or severe.
After a stroke a person may experience:
- Hemiplegia: paralysis on one side of the body
- Hemiparesis: weakness on one side of the body
- Expressive Aphasia: inability to speak or speak clearly
- Receptive Aphasia: inability to understand spoken or written words
- loss of sensations
- loss of bladder or bowel control
- confusion
- poor judgement
- memory loss
- loss of cognitive abilities
- One-sided neglect: tendency to ignore one side of the body called
- Emotional lability: laughing or crying w/o any reason or when it is inappropriate
- Dysphagia: difficulty swallowing.
