Section 2

Sense of Sight

notes the color of skin, swelling or edema, presence of a rash or sore, color of urine or stool, amt. of food eaten and other similar factors

Sense of Smell

alerts the HCW to body odor or unusual odors of breath, wounds, urine or stool (feces)

Sense of Touch

used to feel the pulse, dryness or temperature of the skin, perspiration and swelling (edema)

Sense of Hearing

used while listening to respirations, abnormal body sounds, coughs, and speech


being able to communicate important information to a pt, a colleague, or your supervisor is an essential skill in any profession, written, oral, and nonverbal using body language


the exchange of information, thoughts, ideas and feelings

Feedback (reflection)

method that can be used to determine if comm. was successful and can be verbal or nonverbal


paying attention to and making an effort to hear what the other person is saying

Comm. Barrier

something that gets in the way of clear comm.


consists of the values, beliefs, attitudes, and customs shared by a group of people and passed on from one generation to the next


process of assuming that everyone in a particular group is the same


language impairment; loss of ability to comprehend or speak normally


weakness or paralysis of muscles of lips, tongue, and throat. May be due to brain damage from a stroke or accident


identification with, and understanding of, another's situation, feeling or motives


specialized or technical language of a trade, a profession, or a group of people


tendencies, prejudices


carbon copy


blind copy




central processing unit


spoken words or written words


such as facial expressions, body language, gestures, eye contact and touch to convey messages or ideas




electronic mail




individual who creates a message to convey info or an idea to another person


info, ideas, or thoughts


individual who receives the message from the sender


must be clear in terms both the sender and receiver understands


must deliver the message in a clear and concise manner-correct pronunciation and the use of good grammar


must be able to hear and receive the message-ex; pts with hearing or visual impairments or pts with limited English-speaking abilites


must be able to understand the message-using unfamiliar terms and HCW being aware of their own prejudices and attitudes

Interruptions or Distractions

must be avoided-can interfere with any comm.-talking while the person is on the phone or watching t.v

Good Listening Skills

require constant practice

Good Listening Skills

will allow you to receive the entire message a person is trying to convey to you and allow the pt to express fears and open the way to more effective comm.

Physical Disabilities

deafness or hearing loss; blindness or impaired vision; aphasia or speech impairments

Psychological Attitudes

prejudice or biases, attitudes, and personality

Cultural Diversity

beliefs and practices regarding health and illness, language differences, eye contact, presence of terminal illness, and touch


emphasize their superiority through lecturing, advising and appealing to reason


orders the upset person to get rid of those negative feelings


tells the upset person what he or she should or shouldn't or must feel and do


pronounces a person guilty without a trial

Language Differences

exist when HCW is not fluent in the language the pt speaks therefore the need to speak slowly, use simple words, use gestures or pictures to clarify the meaning of words, use non-verbal comm. in the form of a smile or gentle touch, and avoid the tendency to speak louder

Eye Contact

when culturally unacceptable it shouldn't be done, but in USA it is culturally acceptable


are processors of information, processing large amts. of info at incredible speeds, accurately, and consistently, are used to communicate standards of care and to guide the practitioners in making pt. care decisions

Computer Uses

recording physicians' notes and orders, creating, charting, ordering, processing, performing, and researching


events that may occur, but are not intended likely to happen


can't be seen or felt and are commonly called symptoms made by the pt and should be reported in the exact word of the pt. and put in quotation marks


can be seen or measured and are commonly called 'signs" Ex: bruise, cut


cross out neatly with a straight line, record error by it, write the correct word, initials of person making the error

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