Communications Exam 1 Study Guide: Chapters 1-10
Chapter 1: Responsible, Assertive, Caring Communication in Nursing
● Why should you study and practice communication?
○ Communication is a lifelong journey
○ You can make a difference in patient’s livex by practicing caring, responsible
communication
○ As you grow in comfort with assertive skills, you will build positive relationships
in your professional and personal life
○ You support each other’s rights for ethical, competent, caring practice as you have
the courage to grow your own assertive communication skills
○ You make a different even in short moments of connection and that you always
have enough time as you learn how to be fully present
*Clear, assertive communication is essential for interprofessional communication for patient
safety
● The Meaning of Interpersonal Communication
○ Communication involves the reciprocal process in which messages are sent and
received between two or more people
○ Communication can either facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship
or create barriers
○ During interpersonal communication, verbal and nonverbal messages about
thoughts and feelings are sent and received
○ 2 parts of face-to-face communication:
■ 1. Verbal Expression: cognitive and affective messages are sent through
words, voice inflection and rate of speech
■ 2. Nonverbal Expression: messages are conveyed by eye movements,
facial expressions and body language
● Powerful nonverbal messages can stand alone, such as a suspicious
glance (warm smile or eyes widened with fear)
○ Communication by telephone or other electronic media loses the effect of gestures
and other nonverbal communication
○ Senders
■ Determine what message they want to transmit to the receiver and encode
their thoughts and feelings into words or gestures
■ Senders messages are transmitted to the receiver through sound, sight,
touch, and occasionally smell and taste
■ Senders of messages wish to convey meaning to receivers and vice versa
, ■ Senders choose certain words and gestures, in a manner that they believe
is congruent with their intended messages
■ Sender’s objective is to transmit a message to receivers that is clear and
understandable
○ Receivers
■ Have to decode the verbal and nonverbal transmission to make sense of
the thoughts and feelings communicated by senders
■ After decoding the senders’ words, speech patterns, and facial and body
movements, the receivers encode return messages, either verbally through
words or nonverbally through gestures
○ Interaction between two people (example: a nurse and patient)
■ Each person is both a sender and receiver
■ Each person alternates between these two roles
■ When senders are speaking, they are also receiving messages from the
person who is listening
■ Listeners are not only receiving speakers’ messages, but they are
simultaneously sending messages
○ Variables that affect how messages are sent and received:
■ 1. Environmental factors: formality, warmth, privacy, familiarity,
freedom or constraint, physical distance between people, climate, mood,
architecture, arrangement of furniture
■ 2. Territory and Personal Space: crowding, seating arrangements, roles,
status, position, physical characteristics (size, height)
■ 3. Physical Appearance and Dress: body shape, race, body smell, hair,
gender, body movements, body adornments, posture, age
■ 4. Nonverbal Cues: facial expressions, eye movements, vocal cues
■ 5. Intrapersonal Factors: developmental stage, language mastery,
differences in perception, differences in decision-making processes,
differences in values, self-concept
■ 6. The use of “I” messages to own one’s responses, such as “I don’t agree
with you”, instead of “you” messages, which sound blaming, such as,
“You are wrong”
○ An important function of communication is to transmit messages from one person
to another
○ The real purpose of communication is to create meaning
, Box 1.1 Important Functions of Interpersonal Communication
in Nursing
● Communication is the vehicle for establishing a therapeutic
relationship
● Communication is the means by which people influence the
behavior of others; thus it is critical to the successful outcome of
nursing intervention
● Communication is the relationship itself because without it, a
therapeutic nurse-client relationship is impossible
● The real purpose of creating understanding in another person is to influence the
other person to effect some change
○ The sender attempts to persuade the receiver to respond to the sender’s requests
○ Examples of requests from clients and colleagues:
■ Understanding
■ Action
■ Information
■ Comfort
○ Requests may be stated in obvious or indirect ways
● The Meaning of Assertive Communication
○ Assertiveness, a key to successful relationships for the client, the family, the nurse
and other colleagues, reduces interpersonal stress, builds team relationships,
improves nursing care, and promotes patient safety
○ Assertiveness is the ability to express your thoughts, ideas, and feelings without
undue anxiety and without any expense to others (being clear about what you
need and be respectful in your language and behavior)
○ Assertive communication skills make interactions more equal
■ Have positive benefits
■ Creates a healthy attitude of mutual respect
■ Helps build trust between people
○ Trust is built when healthcare professionals have the courage to acknowledge
when things go wrong, right the wrong, express regret, and work to find out how
to avoid the mistake in the future
○ Assertive Behavior: an active behavior, is contrasted with non assertive or
passive behavior, in which individuals disregard their own needs and rights
○ Aggressive Behavior: occurs when individuals disregard the needs and rights of
others
○ Assertiveness is a matter of choice
■ Important to feel confident that you can speak up for yourself, yet it is not
necessary or even wise to speak your mind in every situation
Chapter 1: Responsible, Assertive, Caring Communication in Nursing
● Why should you study and practice communication?
○ Communication is a lifelong journey
○ You can make a difference in patient’s livex by practicing caring, responsible
communication
○ As you grow in comfort with assertive skills, you will build positive relationships
in your professional and personal life
○ You support each other’s rights for ethical, competent, caring practice as you have
the courage to grow your own assertive communication skills
○ You make a different even in short moments of connection and that you always
have enough time as you learn how to be fully present
*Clear, assertive communication is essential for interprofessional communication for patient
safety
● The Meaning of Interpersonal Communication
○ Communication involves the reciprocal process in which messages are sent and
received between two or more people
○ Communication can either facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship
or create barriers
○ During interpersonal communication, verbal and nonverbal messages about
thoughts and feelings are sent and received
○ 2 parts of face-to-face communication:
■ 1. Verbal Expression: cognitive and affective messages are sent through
words, voice inflection and rate of speech
■ 2. Nonverbal Expression: messages are conveyed by eye movements,
facial expressions and body language
● Powerful nonverbal messages can stand alone, such as a suspicious
glance (warm smile or eyes widened with fear)
○ Communication by telephone or other electronic media loses the effect of gestures
and other nonverbal communication
○ Senders
■ Determine what message they want to transmit to the receiver and encode
their thoughts and feelings into words or gestures
■ Senders messages are transmitted to the receiver through sound, sight,
touch, and occasionally smell and taste
■ Senders of messages wish to convey meaning to receivers and vice versa
, ■ Senders choose certain words and gestures, in a manner that they believe
is congruent with their intended messages
■ Sender’s objective is to transmit a message to receivers that is clear and
understandable
○ Receivers
■ Have to decode the verbal and nonverbal transmission to make sense of
the thoughts and feelings communicated by senders
■ After decoding the senders’ words, speech patterns, and facial and body
movements, the receivers encode return messages, either verbally through
words or nonverbally through gestures
○ Interaction between two people (example: a nurse and patient)
■ Each person is both a sender and receiver
■ Each person alternates between these two roles
■ When senders are speaking, they are also receiving messages from the
person who is listening
■ Listeners are not only receiving speakers’ messages, but they are
simultaneously sending messages
○ Variables that affect how messages are sent and received:
■ 1. Environmental factors: formality, warmth, privacy, familiarity,
freedom or constraint, physical distance between people, climate, mood,
architecture, arrangement of furniture
■ 2. Territory and Personal Space: crowding, seating arrangements, roles,
status, position, physical characteristics (size, height)
■ 3. Physical Appearance and Dress: body shape, race, body smell, hair,
gender, body movements, body adornments, posture, age
■ 4. Nonverbal Cues: facial expressions, eye movements, vocal cues
■ 5. Intrapersonal Factors: developmental stage, language mastery,
differences in perception, differences in decision-making processes,
differences in values, self-concept
■ 6. The use of “I” messages to own one’s responses, such as “I don’t agree
with you”, instead of “you” messages, which sound blaming, such as,
“You are wrong”
○ An important function of communication is to transmit messages from one person
to another
○ The real purpose of communication is to create meaning
, Box 1.1 Important Functions of Interpersonal Communication
in Nursing
● Communication is the vehicle for establishing a therapeutic
relationship
● Communication is the means by which people influence the
behavior of others; thus it is critical to the successful outcome of
nursing intervention
● Communication is the relationship itself because without it, a
therapeutic nurse-client relationship is impossible
● The real purpose of creating understanding in another person is to influence the
other person to effect some change
○ The sender attempts to persuade the receiver to respond to the sender’s requests
○ Examples of requests from clients and colleagues:
■ Understanding
■ Action
■ Information
■ Comfort
○ Requests may be stated in obvious or indirect ways
● The Meaning of Assertive Communication
○ Assertiveness, a key to successful relationships for the client, the family, the nurse
and other colleagues, reduces interpersonal stress, builds team relationships,
improves nursing care, and promotes patient safety
○ Assertiveness is the ability to express your thoughts, ideas, and feelings without
undue anxiety and without any expense to others (being clear about what you
need and be respectful in your language and behavior)
○ Assertive communication skills make interactions more equal
■ Have positive benefits
■ Creates a healthy attitude of mutual respect
■ Helps build trust between people
○ Trust is built when healthcare professionals have the courage to acknowledge
when things go wrong, right the wrong, express regret, and work to find out how
to avoid the mistake in the future
○ Assertive Behavior: an active behavior, is contrasted with non assertive or
passive behavior, in which individuals disregard their own needs and rights
○ Aggressive Behavior: occurs when individuals disregard the needs and rights of
others
○ Assertiveness is a matter of choice
■ Important to feel confident that you can speak up for yourself, yet it is not
necessary or even wise to speak your mind in every situation
