Running head: Communication of Nurses

TheComplexCommunicationofNursesintheHospital
LydiaKelley
UniversityofKentucky

Communication of Nurses

PlanningTools
GeneralPurpose:Toexplainthedifferenttypesofcommunicationwithinthehospitalfor
nurses.
SpecificPurpose:Nursesjobscanbedifficultbecausetheyneedtoknowhowtocommunicate
withpeopletherightway.
Thesis:Nurseshaveacollectivist,lowcontextjobbecausetheyhavetocommunicateinmany
ways.Forexampletheycommunicatetodoctors,othernursesandpatientsonadailybasis.

CommunicationofNurses
Introduction
I.AttentionCatcher:Thereareatotalof2,724,570registerednursesintheUnitedStatestoday.
Eachhavebeenexposedtoahospitalsettingandhaveuseddifferentkindsofcommunicationto
makethemsuccessfulintheirjobs.
II.ListenerRelevanceLink:Ifnursesdidnotcommunicatewell,therewouldbelesspatient
centeredcare.
III.StatementofSpeakerCredibility:Iinterviewedmyfriendwhoisanurseinthedelivery
room.Ialsoreadabookaboutnursesandthedifferentjobstheyhave.Ididresearchonlinethat
hasgivenmeinformationaboutnursesjobs.
IV.ThesisStatement:Nurseshaveacollectivist,lowcontextjobbecausetheyhaveto
communicateinmanyways.Forexampletheycommunicatetodoctors,othernursesandpatients
onadailybasis.
V.PreviewofMainPoints:Nursescommunicationismoreprofessionalandlowcontextwhen
theyaretalkingtodoctors.Whennursestalktopatientsandpatientsfamiliestheyhavetobe
specificandgiveeverydetailpossible.
Transition:Nurseshaveacollectivistjobbecausetheyareworkingforthegoodofthe
communityandnotjustfocusingonthemselves.Doingthistheymustworktogetherwith
doctorstomakesuretheirjobisdoneright.Ireadaboutthisonanursingwebsite.
Body
I.Whennursestalktodoctorstheyhavetobeprofessionalandusealowcontextcultureabout
thetreatmentofthepatient.
A.Thenursewilldowhateverthedoctorordershimorhertodo.
i.Ireadabookthatiscalled,MakingofaNurse,writtenbyTildaShalof.Inthis
bookTildagoestoIsrealtoworkasanurse.ThedoctorsheworksunderisDr.BenCassis.He
isalwaystellingherwhattodo.Forexample,Hebegantooutlineexactlywhathewantedmeto

Communication of Nurses

do:givelotsoffluid,plustowunitsofpackedredbloodcells,tenunitsofplatelets,starthimon
adifferentstrongerantibioticandadrugIwasntfamiliarwithcalleddopamine(Shalof70).
Thisquoteshowsthatmanytimescommunicationbetweennursesanddoctorsisdoctorsgiving
nursesordersthroughtheuseofwordsonly.
ii.Nursesmusthavealowcontextculturewhiletalkingtodoctorsbecausethey
havetomakeadirectpoint.Talkingtodoctorsisaveryimportantaspectoftheirjobsothey
havetobespecificwiththemeaningoftheirmessages.IlearnedthisfrommyCompositionand
Communicationstextbook(Fast,Hershberger,LopezCox,NaveyDavis,Nalbone,Sellnow,
Verderber58).
B.Iinterviewedoneofmyfriendswhoisanurseinthedeliverydepartmentofthe
hospitalandshetoldmethattheyhavetousedetailswhentellingthedoctoraboutthepatient.
Shesaidtheyhavetobespecificonthecontractionsandhowfaraparttheyareorwhenshecan
orcannotstarttopushthebabyout.
Transition:Beingspecificandusingdetailsiskeytobeinganurse.InthebookTheMakingof
aNurseTildawasgiveninstructionstogiveapatientinsulin.Theothernursewasnotspecific
withherdetailsandTildaputitallinatonceandthepatientalmostdiedbecauseofit.Now
Tildahadtosavethepatientslifeandexplaineverythingtothepatientsfamily.
II.Nursesalsohavetohaveacollectivistcultureandbespecificwhentalkingtothepatientand
hisorherfamily.
A.Thepatientsfamilyneedstoknowexactlywhatisgoingonwiththerelovedone.
Thereforethenursehastomakeacollectivistdecision.Thismeansmakeadecisionthatisfor
thegreatergoodofsomeoneelse.Ifapatientisbeingdischarged,anursehastobemakeawise
decisionononlettingthepatientleaveandgivedescriptivedetailsonhowtotakecareofa
patient.Forexample,thissummerIshadowedanursethatworkedinthedeliveryroom.When
thenursetalkedtothepatientandherfamilyshetaughtthemeverythingaboutcaringforababy
fromchangingadiapertowrappingthebabyinablanket.Nurseshavetouseeverydaylanguage
toproperlytalktothepatientandthefamily.
B.Tobeanurseonehastobecaringandcompassionate.Thesequalitieswillhelpwhen
talkingtothepatientortheirfamily.Sometimestellingthepatienthisorherdiagnosiscanbe
hard,butanursehastobetough,yetcompassionateandalwayssupportiveforthepatient.A
nursehastobeabletoreadthepatientsemotionsandreactionstoproceed.

Communication of Nurses

Transition:WhileshadowinganursethissummerIexperiencedthewayshechangedhertone.
Forexamplewhenthepatientwaspushingthebabyout,thenursewasusingaforcefulvoiceto
helpthedifficultpartofthedelivery.Tenminuteslaterthesamenursewascalmandsoothing
whiletalkingtoherpatient.Knowingwhattonetospeaktothepatientisimportantinproper
communicationsofanurse.

Conclusion
I.ThesisRestatement:Nurseshaveacollectivist,lowcontextjobbecausetheyhaveto
communicateinmanyways.Forexampletheycommunicatetodoctors,othernursesandpatients
onadailybasis.
II.MainPointSummary:Nursescommunicationismoreprofessionalandrequiresmore
listeningwhentheyaretalkingtodoctors.Whentheytalktopatientsandpatientsfamiliesthey
havetobeveryspecificandgiveeverydetailpossible.
III.Clincher:Ifnursesdidnotcommunicateaswellasheorshedid,therewouldbeasignificant
numberofmistakes.

Communication of Nurses

References
DrewAltman(2014).TheHenryJKaiserFamilyFoundation.Retrievedfrom
http://kff.org/other/stateindicator/totalregisterednurses/
T.London(2014).AmericanNursingAssosiation.
http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/ContactUs
TildaShalof(2007).RetrievedfromTheMakingofaNurse
Fast,Hershberger,LopezCox,Nalbone,NaveyDavis,Sellnow&Verderber.(2014).
CompositionandCommunication1:Cis110