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Fundamentals · chapter 2 · Communication

Types of Communication

The 14 things this section of the textbook says that you are most likely to be asked about — quoted word for word, not retold. Then 6 practice questions with the reasoning.

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Key points

  1. Clear healthcare communication

    The act of communication involves the sharing of ideas and thoughts among people, and it should be clear, honest, and confidential.

  2. Patient comfort and respect

    Patients should feel comfortable sharing medical information with their healthcare providers, and they must never feel intimidated, fearful, or disrespected.

  3. Cultural care gaps

    When the healthcare provider does not prioritize culturally competent care, gaps in communication occur, and the health care provided may be deficient.

  4. Interdisciplinary communication errors

    When multiple healthcare professionals from various disciplines collaborate on patient care, communication breakdowns may result. Inadequate or inappropriate communication can lead to errors, compromising patient care and outcomes.

  5. Interpreter restrictions

    Healthcare interpreters used in a healthcare setting should not be family members or healthcare staff members. Family members should not be used because they may not be familiar with medical terms, which may lead to incorrect translation.

  6. Five communication forms

    Communication requires a sender and a receiver. There are five forms of communication: verbal, nonverbal, written, visual, and electronic.

  7. Medical jargon risk

    When healthcare providers speak medical jargon to patients, much of the intended communication can be lost.

  8. Initial barrier assessment

    It is important for nurses to assess the patient’s level of health literacy, any medical condition impacting communication, or other barriers when first providing care.

  9. HIPAA privacy familiarity

    Healthcare providers need to be familiar with HIPAA laws so that they can assure the patient’s privacy and avoid violating the law.

  10. Nonverbal congruence

    When a healthcare provider communicates with a patient, they should make their verbal and nonverbal communication congruent. When noncongruent messages are sent, the receiver is more likely to pay attention to the nonverbal communication than the verbal communication.

  11. Text messaging security

    Because text messages are not secure, they should not be used for discussing protected health information with other providers.

  12. Electronic communication safety

    Electronic communication may help healthcare providers treat patients more effectively, reduce medical errors, and improve patient safety (Rodiewicz et al., 2023).

  13. Active listening and safety

    Healthcare providers must be actively listening as patients are giving them information that helps them treat the patient safely and effectively.

  14. Four communication levels

    There are four levels of communication: intrapersonal, interpersonal, small-group, and public communication. The nurse should consider the levels of communication when providing health care.

Terms to know

health literacy
The ability of a patient to understand and use information to make health-related decisions is known as health literacy.
verbal communication
The term verbal communication can be defined as the production of spoken language to send to a listener.
nonverbal communication
The term nonverbal communication can be defined as all communication that is not spoken, including facial expressions, posture, eye contact, gestures, and physical touch.
written communication
Any written message, from formal letters to text messages, is considered written communication.
listening
The ability to thoughtfully receive and interpret messages is called listening.
interpersonal communication
Communication that occurs between two or more people is called interpersonal communication.

Practice questions

Stuck on select-all-that-apply? How to take them one option at a time.

The graded version needs JavaScript. Every question is below anyway, with the answer and why.

Every question here, with the answer

  1. A patient who speaks Spanish arrives with her 10-year-old son, who begins translating for her. What is the nurse’s best action to support safe communication?

    1. Use gestures only because the patient is alert and cooperative.
    2. Seek a healthcare interpreter certified by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters.
    3. Continue using the son because he knows the patient best.
    4. Ask another healthcare staff member who speaks some Spanish to interpret.

    Answer: Seek a healthcare interpreter certified by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters.

    The nurse should use a certified healthcare interpreter rather than a family member or staff member. Family members may mistranslate medical terms, and staff interpreting may violate patient privacy.

  2. A nurse is beginning care for a new patient who may have difficulty understanding health information. Which assessments are most appropriate at the start of care? Select all that apply.

    1. Assess for other barriers to communication.
    2. Assess for any medical condition that may affect communication.
    3. Continue without accommodation if the patient nods during teaching.
    4. Use medical jargon so the information is clinically precise.
    5. Assess the patient’s level of health literacy.

    Answer: Assess for other barriers to communication., Assess for any medical condition that may affect communication., Assess the patient’s level of health literacy.

    The nurse should assess health literacy, medical conditions affecting communication, and other barriers when first providing care. Medical jargon can cause intended communication to be lost, and a head nod alone does not confirm understanding.

  3. A nurse is giving unpleasant information to a patient and maintains eye contact. The patient states that in their culture, direct eye contact is disrespectful. What should the nurse do next?

    1. Continue direct eye contact to show honesty.
    2. Ask about the patient’s cultural beliefs and respect them.
    3. Use touch instead because it is always appropriate.
    4. Avoid all nonverbal communication with the patient.

    Answer: Ask about the patient’s cultural beliefs and respect them.

    Culturally competent care requires the nurse to ask about and respect the patient’s cultural beliefs. Eye contact and touch may be interpreted differently across cultures, so the nurse should assess the patient’s preferences and boundaries.

  4. The nurse is reviewing safe use of text messaging in a clinic. Which actions follow the section’s guidance? Select all that apply.

    1. Follow the healthcare organization’s policies when texting patients.
    2. Text a patient only if the patient has provided written consent.
    3. Use an unsecured text message to discuss protected health information with another provider.
    4. Use the healthcare facility’s internal secure electronic messaging for provider-to-provider communication.
    5. Assume text messages are secure because they are a form of written communication.

    Answer: Follow the healthcare organization’s policies when texting patients., Text a patient only if the patient has provided written consent., Use the healthcare facility’s internal secure electronic messaging for provider-to-provider communication.

    Texting patients requires written consent and must follow organizational policy. Provider-to-provider texting should use secure electronic messaging, because unsecured communication is more likely to violate HIPAA guidelines.

  5. After giving discharge instructions, the nurse notices the patient nodding but is unsure whether the patient understands. What is the nurse’s best next action?

    1. Repeat the instructions more loudly.
    2. Document that the patient understood because they nodded.
    3. Ask the patient to repeat the instructions received.
    4. Provide no further teaching unless the patient asks a question.

    Answer: Ask the patient to repeat the instructions received.

    A head nod does not always mean the patient understands. Asking the patient to repeat the instructions helps the nurse identify discrepancies and ensure the listener understands.

  6. A nurse receives a patient’s test results and needs to communicate them to the patient. Which approach best protects the patient’s privacy?

    1. Discuss the results in a public area because public communication is one of the four levels of communication.
    2. Share the results during a group education session to save time.
    3. Ask another patient to step away while still discussing the results in public.
    4. Avoid public communication when providing the patient’s test results.

    Answer: Avoid public communication when providing the patient’s test results.

    The nurse should not use public communication for a patient’s test results because doing so violates privacy and HIPAA. Communication about private health information should be handled in a way that protects confidentiality.

Where every quote comes from

Section 2.1 Types of Communication of Fundamentals of Nursing by Christy Bowen, Lindsay Draper, Heather Moore, OpenStax, 2024. Read the whole section free at openstax.org.

The textbook is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. This page quotes it word for word and adds the headings, the order and the practice questions; references to the book's figures and stray spaces left by its formatting are removed. The page is shared under the same licence. Nothing here is sold.