ENGLISH FOR NURSING

W eek 3: Com m unication Technique

W eek 3: Com m unication Technique

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Teknik berkomunikasi dalam bahasa Inggris

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Soft skill komunikasi dalam bahasa Inggris

WARM UP

Look at the picture and discuss

with your friends:
1. What do they do?
2. What are they talking
about?
3. What questions do the
nurses ask to the
patient?

GRAMMAR I am

Simple Present Tense à with “To be” You

They are
Subject Pronoun : I, You, They, We, He, She It We
To be : Am, Is, Are
He
Example : - She is a teacher She is
It
- They are my friends
Sentences:
1 Leni Amelia Suek, S.S., MA., M.Ed.
 ENGLISH FOR NURSING
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
Afirmative (+) : She is a teacher.
Negative (-) : She is not a teacher.
Interogative (?) : Is she a teacher?

Exercise 1. Make sentences using Simple Present Tense with “to be”!
Example : I/a student
(+) I am a student.
(-) I am not a student.
(?) Are you a student?

1. We/nurses. 6. They/friends.
(+) (+)
(-) (-)
(?) (?)
2. The nurses/nice. 7. The doctor/friendly
(+) (+)
(-) (-)
(?) (?)
3. The hospital/big. 8. The patient/angry.
(+) (+)
(-) (-)
(?) (?)
4. The dictionary/thick 10. The medicines/expensive.
(+) (+)
(-) (-)
(?) (?)
5. You/smart. 10. He/healthy.
(+) (+)
(-) (-)
(?) (?)

READING

2 Leni Amelia Suek, S.S., MA., M.Ed.

 ENGLISH FOR NURSING
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
Exercise 2: Read the following passage and make a summary!

17 Therapeutic Communication Techniques

One of the main ways nurses establish trust with patients is through communication.
Because nurses are likely to have the most direct contact with patients, effective nurse-patient
communication is critical. Nurses can utilize proven therapeutic communication techniques
that promote quality care.

What Is Therapeutic Communication?

Therapeutic communication is a collection of techniques that prioritize the physical, mental,

and emotional well-being of patients opens in new window. Nurses provide patients with
support and information while maintaining a level of professional distance and objectivity.
With therapeutic communication, nurses often use open-ended statements and questions,
repeat information, or use silence to prompt patients to work through problems on their own.

1. Using Silence

At times, it’s useful to not speak at all. Deliberate silence can give both nurses and
patients an opportunity to think through and process what comes next in the
conversation. It may give patients the time and space they need to broach a new topic.
Nurses should always let patients break the silence.

2. Accepting

Sometimes it’s necessary to acknowledge what patients say and affirm that they’ve been
heard. Acceptance isn’t necessarily the same thing as agreement; it can be enough to
simply make eye contact and say “Yes, I understand.” Patients who feel their nurses are
listening to them and taking them seriously are more likely to be receptive to care.

3. Giving Recognition

Recognition acknowledges a patient’s behavior and highlights it without giving an overt

compliment. A compliment can sometimes be taken as condescending, especially when it
concerns a routine task like making the bed. However, saying something like “I noticed
you took all of your medications” draws attention to the action and encourages it without
requiring a compliment.
3 Leni Amelia Suek, S.S., MA., M.Ed.
 ENGLISH FOR NURSING
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
4. Offering Self

Hospital stays can be lonely, stressful times; when nurses offer their time, it shows they
value patients and that someone is willing to give them time and attention. Offering to
stay for lunch, watch a TV show, or simply sit with patients for a while can help boost
their mood.

5. Giving Broad Openings

Therapeutic communication is often most effective when patients direct the flow of
conversation and decide what to talk about. To that end, giving patients a broad opening
such as “What’s on your mind today?” or “What would you like to talk about?” can be a
good way to allow patients an opportunity to discuss what’s on their mind.

6. Active Listening

By using nonverbal and verbal cues such as nodding and saying “I see,” nurses can
encourage patients to continue talking. Active listening involves showing interest in what
patients have to say, acknowledging that you’re listening and understanding, and
engaging with them throughout the conversation. Nurses can offer general leads such as
“What happened next?” to guide the conversation or propel it forward.

7. Seeking Clarification

Similar to active listening, asking patients for clarification when they say something
confusing or ambiguous is important. Saying something like “I’m not sure I understand.
Can you explain it to me?” helps nurses ensure they understand what’s actually being
said and can help patients process their ideas more thoroughly.

8. Placing the Event in Time or Sequence

Asking questions about when certain events occurred in relation to other events can help
patients (and nurses) get a clearer sense of the whole picture. It forces patients to think
about the sequence of events and may prompt them to remember something they
otherwise wouldn’t.

4 Leni Amelia Suek, S.S., MA., M.Ed.

 ENGLISH FOR NURSING
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
9. Making Observations

Observations about the appearance, demeanor, or behavior of patients can help draw
attention to areas that might pose a problem for them. Observing that they look tired may
prompt patients to explain why they haven’t been getting much sleep lately; making an
observation that they haven’t been eating much may lead to the discovery of a new
symptom.

10. Encouraging Descriptions of Perception

For patients experiencing sensory issues or hallucinations, it can be helpful to ask about
them in an encouraging, non-judgmental way. Phrases like “What do you hear now?” or
“What does that look like to you?” give patients a prompt to explain what they’re
perceiving without casting their perceptions in a negative light.

11. Encouraging Comparisons

Often, patients can draw upon experience to deal with current problems. By encouraging
them to make comparisons, nurses can help patients discover solutions to their problems.

12. Summarizing

It’s frequently useful for nurses to summarize what patients have said after the fact. This
demonstrates to patients that the nurse was listening and allows the nurse to document
conversations. Ending a summary with a phrase like “Does that sound correct?” gives
patients explicit permission to make corrections if they’re necessary.

13. Reflecting

Patients often ask nurses for advice about what they should do about particular problems
or in specific situations. Nurses can ask patients what they think they should do, which
encourages patients to be accountable for their own actions and helps them come up with
solutions themselves.

5 Leni Amelia Suek, S.S., MA., M.Ed.

 ENGLISH FOR NURSING
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
W eek 3: Com m unication Technique
14. Focusing

Sometimes during a conversation, patients mention something particularly important.

When this happens, nurses can focus on their statement, prompting patients to discuss it
further. Patients don’t always have an objective perspective on what is relevant to their
case; as impartial observers, nurses can more easily pick out the topics to focus on.

15. Confronting

Nurses should only apply this technique after they have established trust. It can be vital
to the care of patients to disagree with them, present them with reality, or challenge their
assumptions. Confrontation, when used correctly, can help patients break destructive
routines or understand the state of their situation.

16. Voicing Doubt

Voicing doubt can be a gentler way to call attention to the incorrect or delusional ideas
and perceptions of patients. By expressing doubt, nurses can force patients to examine
their assumptions.

17. Offering Hope and Humor

Because hospitals can be stressful places for patients, sharing hope that they can
persevere through their current situation and lightening the mood with humor can help
nurses establish rapport quickly. This technique can keep patients in a more positive state
of mind.

WRITING

Exercise 3: Write a question for each communication technique!

Example
Accepting à “Yes, I understand.”

SPEAKING

Exercise 4: Present and summary each communication technique!

6 Leni Amelia Suek, S.S., MA., M.Ed.