Ch. 4 Nursing Communication and Cultural Diversity

Three basic steps of communication

Sending, receiving, feedback - process occurs over and over

Verbal communication

Involves use of words, spoken or written (ex: oral reports)

Nonverbal communication

Communicating without using words, includes body language, facial expressions, and tone

Four ways people communicate nonverbally that are shaped by culture

Animated while speaking, eye contact, hand gestures, volume of voice

Cliches

Phrases used over and over again (ex: everything will be fine)

Objective information

Based on what a person sees, hears, touches, or smells (ex: a patient having a bruise)

Subjective information

Something a person cannot or did not observe but is based on what the patient reported (ex: a patient saying they have a headache)

Incontinence

Inability to control bladder/bowels

Cyanotic

Skin that is gray/blue in color

Nearsightedness

See things near clearly

Farsightedness

See things far clearly

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Medical term for stroke, occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks/ruptures within the brain

Hemiphelgia

Paralysis on one side of the body

Hemiparesis

Weakness on one side of the body

Expressive aphasia

Trouble communicating thoughts through speech or writing

Receptive aphasia

Difficulty understanding spoken or written words

Emotional lability

Inappropriate/unprovoked emotional responses

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing