Chapter 3: Communication

MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The patient is a 54-year-old man who has made a living as a construction worker. He dropped out of high school at age 16 and has been a laborer ever since. He never saw any need for “book learning,” and has lived his life “my way” since he was a teenager. He has smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years and follows no special diet, eating a lot of “fast food” while on the job. He now is admitted to the coronary care unit for complaints of chest pain and is scheduled for a cardiac catheterization in the morning. Which of the following would be the best way for the nurse to explain why he needs the procedure? a. “The doctor believes that you have atherosclerotic plaques occluding the major arteries in your heart, causing ischemia and possible necrosis of heart tissue.” b. “There may be a blockage of one of the arteries in your heart, causing the chest discomfort. He needs to know where it is to see how he can treat it.” c. “We have pamphlets here that can explain everything. Let me get you one.” d. “It‟s just like a clogged pipe. All the doctor has to do is „Roto­Rooter‟ it to get it cleaned out.” ANS: B To send an accurate message, the sender of verbal communication must be aware of different developmental perspectives as well as cultural differences between sender and receiver, such as the use of dialect or slang.