Patient Communication Case Study

In order to understand and assess how to interact with a patient and create a caring and healing environment an interview was conducted and will be analyzed in this paper. For the sake of anonymity we will address the patient with the pseudonym, Alyssa. Alyssa graduated from culinary school in New York almost two years ago. This being said, Alyssa loves to cook and therefore owns many high-grade kitchen tools such as knives. One day while preparing dinner for herself and her two roommates, for the purpose of this paper they were named Lauren and Molly, Alyssa returned to the kitchen area to clean up. While cleaning her extremely sharp knives, the sponge somehow slipped and led to Alyssa slicing the tip of her left pointer finger. According …show more content…
Sufficient communication not only reduces the likelihood of medical errors but it could also but the patient at ease with their medical plan of action. According to The Journal of Family Practice “The pathway suggests a process through which patient-physician communication influences patients’ health, by first influencing the patients’ perceptions of being a full participant in the discussions during the encounter” (Oates, 2000). As stated previously Alyssa was already frustrated, agitated, and in pain while waiting to be admitted. This being said, she must have been exhibiting obvious verbal and nonverbal cues. As mentioned in class, the ability to pick up on verbal and nonverbal cues can help a healthcare professional confirm whether or not the patient’s cues are congruent with their mental/ physical state. Nurse Jackie must have picked up on Alyssa’s cues and decided initiate a relationship with both Alyssa and Lauren by lightly joking with them and complimenting Lauren’s gauze work. Simultaneously it is a great tool for healthcare professionals to use these cues to subtly comfort the patient. In Alyssa’s case, Nurse Jackie made eye contact, nodded, and allowed Alyssa to explain everything and only spoke to further the conversation. The combination lead Alyssa to feel cared for and help take a step towards …show more content…
This can be scene with Alyssa’s case. She had to wait for a long time before being admitted, barely saw the doctor, and required minimal treatment. Despite this Alyssa felt as though she had a good experience. It is evident that the combination of different techniques used by the Nurse Jackie aided in Alyssa’s recovery. By dissecting Alyssa’s experience it is easy to see what we as a field have done well and shall continue to improve