Communication in Healthcare

A 36-year-old woman who underwent a hysterectomy 4 days ago says to the nurse, "I wonder if I'll still feel like a woman." Which response would most likely encourage the patient to expand on this and express her concerns in more specific terms?

• When did you begin to wonder about this?

• Do you want more children?

• Feel like a woman...?

• Remaining silent.

Which of the following statements about the communication process is accurate?

• Communication is a reciprocal process in which both the sender and the receiver of messages take turns participating.

• One-to-one communication occurs when 3 or more people are involved in the communication process.

• Nursing instructors and students seldom experience the communication process in large groups.

• Communicating people receive and send messages through verbal and nonverbal means, which occur simultaneously.

Which behavior provides encouragement during communication without indicating agreement or disagreement?

• Clapping

• Sighing

• Looking away

• Nodding

What is the main source of info and communication among nurses, doctors, and other caregivers?

• Computer

• Medical record

Silence is a communication technique used during an interview to:

• Show respect

• Change the topic

• Encourage the patient to continue talking

• Clarify information

Rebecca needs to obtain information from her patient about the medications he is taking. Which of the following open-ended questions is phrased in a way that will elicit the information that Rebecca needs?

• Are you taking your medications?

• What medications are you currently taking?

• Have you taken any medications?

• Did you take your medications today?

What can you do as a medical assistant to communicate effectively with a patient when there is a language barrier?

• Find an interpreter who can translate for the patient.

• Raise your voice so that the patient can focus more on what you are saying.

• Give the patient the name and address of a physician who speaks the same language.

• Assess the patient and give the physician your best opinion about what is bothering the patient.

Which of the following statements about communication is correct?

During a patient interview, repeating what you have heard the patient say using an open-ended statement is called:

• Summarizing

• Paraphrasing

• Reflecting

• Clarifying

The Good Samaritan Act covers:

• Emergency care administered to patients in the hospital who are uninsured

• Compensated emergency care administered outside of a healthcare provider's formal practice

• Emergency care administered by the medical assistant

• Sensible emergency care administered outside of the practice