Communication Flashcards
A hearing-impaired patient presents with an eye infection. The nurse is tasked to instruct the patient for home treatments. Which is the most effective method of communication that the nurse should use to communicate with this patient?
A. Be clear.
B. Use gestures.
C. Provide written instructions with illustrations.
D. Use simple language and terminology.
C. Provide written instructions with illustrations. - For patients with hearing impairment, written communication can provide additional clarity for the instructions or what is being communicated. Illustrations may be added and helpful. Being clear and using simple language and terminology are not the best options for instructing hearing-impaired patients, because these are spoken words for listening. Using gestures may be appropriate for demonstration and if the nurse knows proper sign language.
The nurse manager assigns a staff nurse to attend a program on communication skills after hearing a conversation that the staff nurse had with a patient. Which statement prompted the nurse manager to send the staff nurse to a program on communication skills?
A. “Please step on the scale.”
B. “You are going to be okay.”
C. “Can I borrow your chair for about an hour?”
D. “How are you feeling today, Mr. Smith?”
B. “You are going to be okay.” - Unwarranted or false reassurances and comforting statements of advice, such as “You are going to be okay,” are barriers to communication. Using the patient’s full name indicates respect, which is not a barrier to communication. Providing single-step directions is an appropriate communication strategy. Asking the patient if the chair can be borrowed respects the patient’s territory and is appropriate communication.
The nurse is preparing to explain the insertion of an intravenous catheter into the arm of a patient who has never been hospitalized. Which explanation by the nurse is the most appropriate for this procedure?
A. “An intracath is placed in a vein, and the IV is set to administer 100 mL per hour.”
B. “A needle is inserted in a vein so that this bag of fluid is pushed into your body.”
C. “A small tube is put in a blood vessel, and liquid is dripped into your body.”
D. “An angiocath is inserted in a vein, and fluids are administered.”
C. “A small tube is put in a blood vessel, and liquid is dripped into your body.” - When communicating with a patient regarding a procedure, the nurse should avoid the use of slang, buzz words, or medical jargon to prevent any potential misunderstanding. The best way to explain a procedure is through use of the simplest words with few syllables and by avoiding any medical jargon. The phrases with “angiocath” and “intracath” use medical jargon. The nurse must avoid using words that might frighten the patient who has never been hospitalized.
A patient states, “I’ve been having stomach pain, nausea, headache, and diarrhea for the past 3 days.” The nurse intently nods while writing the patient’s symptoms. Which part of the communication process is the nurse demonstrating?
A. Response
B. Sender
C. Receiver
D. Message
A. Response - The nurse intently nodding while writing the patient’s complaints implies that the nurse is responding. Response, also called feedback, is the fourth part of the communication process, where the receiver returns to sender. It can be verbal or nonverbal or both. The other options are parts of the communication process that lead to the response. The sender is an individual or group who wishes to convey a message to another. The receiver is the listener, who must listen and observe. The message is the words actually spoken or written, the body language that accompanies the words, and how the words are transmitted.
As the newly hired nurse completed a procedure, a colleague stated, “You forgot to put away the canula!” The newly hired nurse was very apologetic and offered to do other tasks to compensate for the forgetfulness. The newly hired nurse is presenting as which type of communicator?
A. Assertive communicator
B. Passive communicator
C. Active communicator
D. Aggressive communicator
B. Passive communicator - The new nurse is presenting as a passive communicator. To maintain self-esteem, the nurse is avoiding conflict and denying self any sort of power. Aggressive communicators are those who tend to focus on their own needs and become impatient when these needs are not met. Active communicator is not a type of communicator. Assertive communicators are those who declare and affirm their opinions; they respect the rights of others to communicate in the same fashion.
The manager schedules an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to attend a basic communication program after observing the UAP provide patient care. Which action by the UAP most likely resulted in this type of referral?
A. Talking with a newly admitted patient about his grandchildren
B. Referring to a 75-year-old male patient as “Mr. Dan”
C. Referring to a 70-year-old patient’s abdominal wound as “your incision”
D. Asking a 65-year-old patient, “Are we ready to get out of bed?”
D. Asking a 65-year-old patient, “Are we ready to get out of bed?” - Elderspeak is a demeaning way of speaking with an older adult patient. Use of inappropriate terms of endearment, such as sweetie; inappropriate use of the first-person plural “we” when referring to getting out of bed; and using baby talk by referring to a wound as a boo-boo are all examples of elderspeak. Using a formal title such as Mr. and following it with the patient’s first name is appropriate if the patient has asked to be addressed in this manner. Discussing grandchildren with the patient does not demonstrate elderspeak. Correctly referring to the patient’s wound as an incision (and not “a boo-boo,” for example) shows respect for the patient’s intelligence.
The nurse is conducting an assessment on a newly admitted patient. The nurse explains the procedures that will be done during the assessment. Which type of distance is the nurse interacting at with the patient?
A. Personal distance
B. Social distance
C. Public distance
D. Intimate distance
A. Personal distance - Most communication between nurses and patients, especially during an assessment when a procedure that will be followed is discussed, is at personal distance. Intimate distance occurs with body contact. Public distance is exemplified by a presentation to a large audience. Social distance occurs with a visual encounter.
An older adult patient with a hearing deficit is admitted to the unit by the nurse. Which nursing action should the nurse follow to support the patient’s communication needs during the assessment process?
A. Ask whether a family member is available to complete the assessment.
B. Sit beside the patient during the assessment.
C. Close the door to the room when conducting the assessment.
D. Shout into the patient’s good ear when talking.
C. Close the door to the room when conducting the assessment. - Communication is enhanced when the environment is quiet with limited distractions and the patient has sufficient privacy to feel comfortable sharing information. These can be accomplished by closing the door to the room. A family member is not a substitute for establishing an effective means of communicating with the patient. Sitting beside the patient may not facilitate communication with a patient with a hearing deficit because the patient might need to lip read. The nurse should not shout when communicating with any patient.
An older adult patient who is postoperative will be discharged in 1 day. The patient expresses concern to the nurse regarding the things that need to be done. The nurse tells the patient, “To better attain your goals and functioning, being discharged to home is better for you.” Which barrier to communication is being used here?
A. Probing
B. Giving common advice
C. Unwarranted reassurance
D. Stereotyping
B. Giving common advice - The nurse is giving common advice to the patient, which does not clearly communicate things that the patient may or may not do, considering the patient’s home situation. The statement, “To better attain your goals and functioning and ROM, being discharged to home is better for you,” is also not appropriate because the patient would not really know the goals, because they differ from patient to patient. The patient may not understand the word “ROM” and would not know how it relates to rehabilitation. Probing is asking patient questions just to find out information out of curiosity. Unwarranted reassurance is using comforting statements or clichés as advice that may not be appropriate. Stereotyping is a barrier to communication that offers generalized and oversimplified beliefs and attitudes and is not appropriate for this scenario.
The nurse is conducting a home visit for a patient who indicates feeling depressed due to not progressing as fast as expected after surgery. The nurse states, “Everyone heals differently. What do you think is hindering your progression?” Which factor supports the nurse–patient relationship by being direct and showing concern to the patient’s issue?
A.Clarity and brevity
B. Timing and relevance
C. Credibility and adaptability
D. Simplicity and relevance
A.Clarity and brevity - Using clarity and brevity results in a message that is simple, clear, and the most effective. Clarity is saying precisely what is meant, and brevity is using the fewest words necessary. This type of verbal communication promotes the nurse–patient relationship. Timing is communication that is delivered at the correct and appropriate time to ensure that the words are heard and understood. Relevance is that the message relates to the person who is the receiver or to the person’s interests. Credibility is the quality of being truthful, trustworthy, and reliable. Adaptability is the altering of the spoken messages in response to behavioral cues from the patient. Simplicity of speech refers to the use of commonly understood words, brevity, and completeness.
A patient is being admitted for dehydration. The patient can understand English but has difficulty speaking the language. Which strategy should the nurse implement in this situation?
A. Know how individuals in the patient’s culture greet one another.
B. Google the patient’s heritage.
C. Use proper medical terminology to communicate because of the patient’s education.
D. Use gestures commonly used in the United States.
A. Know how individuals in the patient’s culture greet one another. - The nurse should know how individuals in the patient’s culture greet one another. This may include the use of a handshake, embraces, or kissing the cheeks. In some cultures, physical contact is prohibited. Finding out information about other cultures using Google may be useful for the nurse’s knowledge. Using proper medical terminology may be appropriate depending on how much the patient understands, but it is most likely not appropriate for this scenario. Using gestures commonly used in the United States may not be appropriate, because what may be acceptable in the United States may not be acceptable in other countries or cultures.
The nurse has been determining a method of communicating with a patient who is recovering from a stroke. Which patient observation indicates that an effective communication method has been established by the nurse?
A. Groaning to get the nurse’s attention
B. Holding a pen to write on paper
C. Slapping the nurse’s hand to refuse an action
D. Spelling words on a bedside table using tiled letters
D. Spelling words on a bedside table using tiled letters - The patient using letters to spell words on a bedside table demonstrates that an effective communication method has been established. Groaning and slapping hands are not effective communication methods. Trying to use a paper and pen to write might be premature for this patient and does not indicate that an effective communication method has been established.
Which technique should the nurse use to effectively communicate with an older adult patient?
A. Use illustrations.
B. Have the patient write down questions.
C. Speak in simple, short sentences, one subject at a time.
D. Have family members leave the room.
C. Speak in simple, short sentences, one subject at a time. - Older adult patients may have physical or cognitive problems. To communicate effectively with older patients, the nurse should keep environmental distractions to a minimum. The nurse should seek to speak in short, simple sentences, one subject at a time, and reinforce or repeat what is said when necessary. Using illustrations and having the patient write down questions may or may not be appropriate depending on the circumstances. It is usually appropriate to have family around, especially if the patient has cognitive problems.
The nurse came into a patient’s room and took a chair by the patient’s bedside for use by another patient’s family member. The chair was never returned. Which communication issue was violated by the nurse?
A. Attitudes
B. Territoriality
C. Congruence
D. Environments
B. Territoriality - Territoriality is the concept of space and things that an individual considers as belonging to self and is the best description for this scenario. The other options are other factors influencing the communication process. Patients more readily trust the nurse when they perceive the nurse’s communication as congruent. Congruence also helps prevent miscommunication. Environment is the concept where individuals usually communicate most effectively in a comfortable environment. Attitudes convey beliefs, thoughts, and feelings about people and events.
A 10-year-old patient is waiting for the nurse to complete a health history. After entering the room, which place would be most appropriate for the nurse to sit in to conduct the history with the patient?
A. One foot away from the patient
B. From 1½–4 feet from the patient
C. About 4–12 feet from the patient
D. Against the wall near the door
B. From 1½–4 feet from the patient - Communication is influenced by personal space, which is 1½–4 feet, and much of the communication between nurses and patients takes place at a personal distance. Social distance is 4-12 feet, which is too far for most communication between nurses and patients. One foot away is within intimate distance. Intimate distance is used by nurses when treating patients, but not for taking a health history. Against the wall near the door would be described as public distance, which would not be useful for taking a health history.
