Health Occupations

1. Health Occupations Communication – Chapter 7.4

2. Communication • Definition – exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, & feelings • Occurs through • Verbal • Written • Nonverbal

3. Elements of Communication • Sender – individual creating message to convey info or ideas to another • Message – info, ideas, thoughts • Receiver – individual who receives message from sender • Problem with one element = ineffective communication • Feedback – occurs when receiver responds • Can determine if communication is successful • Allows interpretation • Can be nonverbal or verbal

4. Factors interfering with communication • Unclear message • Sender & receiver must both understand • Medical terminology dangerous & must be modified, defined, or substituted • Practice, practice, practice – message must be clearly understood • Message garbled or not precise • Need correct pronunciation & grammar

5. Factors interfering • Avoid slang or words with double meaning • You know, ok, um, all that stuff … poor • Tone & pitch important (I really like this job) • Rate of delivery important • Too fast – can’t understand • Too slow – boring • Written communications • Spelling, grammar, punctuation correct • Short but concise

6. Factors interfering • Inability to hear by receiver • May not hear info • May not process info • May not receive info • Examples – • Hearing or vision impaired • Limited English speakers • Help the receiver to respond by • Repeating message • Changing form of message • Get others to interpret or clarify

7. Factors interfering • Inability to understand message • Unfamiliar terminology • Many do not admit misunderstanding • Need to ask questions or repeat in different terms • Attitudes & prejudices • Pts won’t accept info from people they feel are unqualified • “I don’t know but I can find out” • HCP need to be aware of prejudices & attitudes about pts

8. Factors interfering • Interruptions & distractions • Loud noises • Bright lights • Uncomfortable temperatures • Telephone • Background noise • Background activities • Need to eliminate these

9. Listening • Paying attention to & make effort to hear what others are saying • Techniques • Show interest & concern • Eye contact, be alert • Avoid interruptions • Avoid thinking about how you will respond • See from other’s point of view • Watch closely for nonverbal – may contradict • Reflect statements back to speaker • Ask for clarification • Control temper

10. Nonverbal communication • Facial expressions • Smile, frown, wink • Body language • Shoulder shrug, tapping fingers/toes • Gestures • Eye contact • Touch • Hold hands, pat on back, handshake, hug • MORE HONEST THAN VERBAL!!!!!!!!

11. Communication Barriers • Something that gets in the way of clear communication • Physical disabilities • Deafness or hearing loss • Blindness or impaired vision • Aphasia or speech impairment • May know what they want to say, but can’t remember how to say it • May have difficulty with pronunciation • Slurred & distorted speech

12. Communication Barriers • Psychological barriers • Caused by prejudice, attitudes, personality • Close-mindedness, preaching, judging, arguing, overreacting, advising • Judgment often based on appearance, lifestyle, socioeconomic status • Stereotypes – lazy bum, fat slob, dumb blonde • Show respect to ALL regardless – respect the individual • Fear is usually cause of negativity & anger – allow pts to express fears or anger

13. Communication Barriers • Cultural diversity • Culture – values, beliefs, attitudes, & customs shared by a group of people • Passed from one generation to the next • Often defined as a set of rules • Allows interpretation of environment & actions of others to behave appropriately • Cultural beliefs about health care differ • Language differences • Eye contact – not appropriate for all patients • Ways of dealing with terminal illness or disability • Touch

14. Recording & reporting • All observations must be reported! • Listen to what pt says & observe what pt does or looks like • Use all senses • Eyes • Color of skin, urine, stool • Edema – swelling • Presence of rash or sore • Amount of food eaten

15. Recording & reporting • Sense of smell • Body odor • Unusual odors of breath, wounds, urine, or stool • Sense of touch • Pulse • Dryness or skin temp • Perspiration & swelling • Sense of hearing • Respirations & coughs • Abnormal body sounds • Speech • OBSERVATIONS YOU MAKE ABOUT YOUR PATIENTS ARE OBJECTIVE!

16. Reporting observations • Report to immediate supervisor • SUBJECTIVE – usually called symptoms • What a person complains of • Cannot be seen & felt by HCP • Usually statements by pt • Must be reported using exact words

17. Reporting observations • OBJECTIVE OBSERVATION – usually called signs • Can be seen & measured by HCP • All HCP will assess in the same way • Examples – BP, pulse, temperature – use exact measurements, not feels hot • Measure & describe exactly with detail

18. Recorded observations • Must be accurate, concise, complete, neat, & legible • Spelling & grammar correct • If using subjective info, write in pts own words • Write all objective information • Signed with first initial, last name, title • Errors – crossed out with single line • Record error & initial