NURSING 204 – COMPLETE STUDY
GUIDE FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Foundations of Nursing Practice (Nursing 204)
Communication - ANSWER Communication is a *lifelong learning process*.
Nurses are often included in their patients and families' intimate journeys from
the miracle of birth to the mystery of death. *As a nurse you aim to
communicate with patients and families by developing meaningful and helpful
relationships*
Communication and Interpersonal Relationships - ANSWER Caring
relationships formed by a nurse and those affected by the nurse's practice are at
the core of nursing. All behaviour communicates, and all communication
influences behaviour. Nurses demonstrate caring by being with, doing for, and
promoting patient well-being.
Therapeutic Communication - ANSWER A type of communication that health
care providers consciously use when talking with residents in order to influence
residents or help residents to a better understanding.
- Healing relationship between the nurse and patient.
Developing Communication Skills - ANSWER Gaining expertise in
communication requires both an understanding of the communication process
and reflection on one's communication experiences as a nurse.
- Critical thinking attitudes and ethical standards of care, when applied
correctly, lead to clinical decisions that promote effective communication
- Critical thinking applied during any patient interaction helps to overcome
perceptual biases or stereotypes that interfere with accurately perceiving and
interpreting messages from others.
- You become more competent in the nursing process as your communication
skills develop.
,Intrapersonal communication - ANSWER A powerful form of communication
that is used as a professional nurse. This level of communication is also called
self-talk. People's thoughts and inner communications strongly influence
perceptions, feelings, behavior, and self-esteem.
Interpersonal communication - ANSWER A form of communication between
a nurse and another person occurs face-to-face or via text or other electronic
formats.
It is the level most frequently used in nursing situations and lies at the heart of
nursing practice.
Small-Group communication - ANSWER Communication that occurs when
two or more nurses interact with two or more individuals, allowing the members
to achieve a goal through communication.
Public communication - ANSWER Communication directed at an audience
that is larger than a small group.
Electronic communication - ANSWER Use of technology to create ongoing
relationships with patients and their healthcare team.
The Circular Transactional Model - ANSWER Includes several elements: the
referent, sender and receiver, message, channels, context or environment in
which the communication process occurs, feedback, and interpersonal variables.
In this model, each person in in the communication interaction is both a speaker
and a listener and can be simultaneously sending and receiving messages.
Referent - ANSWER Motivates one person to communicate with another. In a
health care setting, sights, sounds, sensations, perceptions, and ideas are
examples of cues that initiate the communication process.
Sender - ANSWER The person who encodes and delivers the message. The
sender puts the message into verbal and nonverbal symbols so that the receiver
can understand.
- Transactional communication involves the role of sender and receiver
switching back and forth between nurse and patient.
,Receiver - ANSWER The person who receives and decodes the message.
Active listening is important to accurately decode and understand a message.
- The more the sender and receiver have in common and the closer the
relationship, the more likely it is that they will accurately perceive one another's
meaning and respond accordingly.
Message - ANSWER The message is the content of the communication. It
contains verbal and nonverbal expressions of thoughts and feelings. Effective
messages are clear, direct, timely, and in understandable language.
- Individuals with cognitive disorders or communication barriers may need
assistance such as hearing aids, interpreters, or pictures to clarify information to
understand messages that are sent and delivered.
Channels - ANSWER Individuals use communication channels to send and
receive messages through visual, auditory, and tactile senses.
Feedback - ANSWER Feedback is the message a sender receives from the
receiver. It indicates the extent to which the receiver understood the meaning of
the sender's message.
Interpersonal Variables - ANSWER Interpersonal variables are factors within
both the sender and receiver that influence communication. Perception provides
a uniquely personal view of reality formed by an individual's culture,
expectations, and experiences.
Environment - ANSWER The setting for sender-receiver interaction. An
effective communication setting provides participants with physical and
emotional comfort and safety.
Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication - ANSWER *Verbal
Communication*: uses spoken or written words. Verbal language is a code that
conveys specific meaning through a combination of words. Types of verbal
communication:
- *Vocabulary*
- *Denotative and Connotative Meaning*
- *Pacing*
- *Intonation (Tone)*
- *Clarity and Brevity*
, - *Timing and Relevance*
*Nonverbal Communication*: Nonverbal communication includes the five
senses and everything that does not involve the spoken or written word.
- *Personal Appearance*
- *Posture and Gait*
- *Facial Expression*
- *Eye Contact*
- *Gestures*
- *Sounds*
- *Territoriality and Personal Space*
- *Metacommunication*
Zones of Personal Space - ANSWER - Intimate Zone (0-18 inches)
- Personal Zone (18 inches to 40 inches)
- Social Zone (4 to 12 feet)
- Public Zone (12 feet and beyond)
Special Zones of Touch - ANSWER *Social Zone (Permission Not Needed)*
- Hands, arms, shoulders, back
*Consent Zone (Permission Needed)*
- Mouth, wrists, feet
*Vulnerable Zone (Special Care Needed)*
- Face, neck, front of the body
*Intimate Zone (Permission and Great Sensitivity Needed)*
- Genitalia, rectum
Phases of the Helping Relationship - ANSWER - Pre-interaction phase:
Information gathered before meeting the patient, so you have information about
them.
- Orientation phase: When the nurse introduces themselves to the patient.
- Working phase: Providing treatment (vital assigns, medications, etc.) to the
patient
- Termination phase: When you leave contact with the patient.
Nurse-Patient Caring Relationships - ANSWER Caring relationships are the
foundation of clinical nursing practice; they are created with skill and trust. In
such relationships you assume the role of a professional who cares about each