Answer Key - Chapter 1

Objective Questions
1. True: The patient’s deafness is a possible obstacle to clear and effective communication.

2. False: Even this seeming non-response is a response that provides feedback to the HCP.
The HCP can follow up with questions about the patient’s understanding or emotional
state.

3. False: Sign language is a channel in the same manner in which English or Spanish is a
channel.

4. False: The scream may be loud, but it is not noise in the sense that it inhibits
communication. The scream actually is part of the message that the patient is sending to
the HCP.

5. False: Messages can be encoded into spoken language, hand gestures, facial expressions,
or any other type of body language.

6. False: In the same way that a computer or fax machine can, a nurse’s pager can serve as
a channel.

Short Answer Questions

1. To encode an idea means to put the idea into some form that can be communicated. For
example, the sender can put the idea into spoken or written words, or perhaps into hand
gestures, body movements or facial expressions.

2. The sheer busyness of the hospital emergency room can cause distractions for both the
HCP and the patient. Specifically, examples of noise that can impair communication may
include the following:
The patient may be affected by pain, confusion, anger, fear, distressed family members or
friends.
The HCP must deal with all of these, too, but must also work through a potentially busy
caseload, phone calls, pagers, and interruptions from other healthcare team members and
patients.

3. Among the many channels a doctor may use to communicate with a patient we can
include: spoken words, hand gestures, facial expressions, body language, dress (the white
 coat), telephone, email, mail, fax, members of the nursing team, medical assistants,
medical interpreters, or any other members of the healthcare team.
4. An HCP needs to be aware of the ways in which cultural differences may make effective
communication – both nonverbal and verbal – more difficult.
While this topic is fully discussed in Chapter 8, students should be able to comment on
the following based on some of their experiences:
First, the meanings of different forms of nonverbal communication can vary greatly
among different cultures. Even within a given culture, nonverbal communication can
vary from individual to individual, depending upon age, education, gender,
socioeconomic or geographic background. Working in an increasingly diverse workplace,
the HCP should be aware that many forms of nonverbal communication that seem
absolutely clear may in fact mean very different things to people from other cultures,
increasing the chances for misunderstanding. Here are some forms of nonverbal
communication which cultural differences may impact: 1) Facial expression – facial
expressions play an important part of any interpersonal communication, but interpreting
the exact meaning of facial expressions can be difficult when communicating across
cultures. 2) Eye contact – eye contact is an important form of nonverbal communication,
and like facial expression, it can mean different things in different cultures. 3) Touching
– touching another person can have very different meanings to members of different
cultures. 4) Time –different cultures interpret time (e.g., punctuality, the pace of time)
differently. For example, in some Latin American cultures, arriving on time to an
appointment are a sign of rudeness, while in others, like North American, arriving late to
an appointment is a sign of rudeness. Second, difficulties in language understanding can
cause difficulties between different cultures. The HCP should remain mindful that non-
native English speakers can have problems understanding when the HCP speaks fast of
uses idiomatic expressions.
5. The HCP can do the following nonverbally and verbally to enhance communication
regarding the medication regimen: Nonverbally: 1) The HCP can face the patient and
make eye contact. 2) The HCP can use appropriate hand gestures and body language to
indicate how the medication regimen should be followed. Verbally: 1) When speaking to
the patient, the HCP can avoid using language that is free of slang, idiomatic expressions,
unnecessarily technical vocabulary. 2) The HCP can speak in a tone that makes clear to
the patient that the HCP wants to solve any problems that may prevent the patient from
following the regimen.