Confidence in Communication

Okay. So we are going to talk about competence in communication. So I did a little communication course that NRSNG has and um, as well as the ob course. So, um, and then we'll cheater on ob and communication. So first let's start, so to be competent communication, there's some basic things, but who are people that we communicate as nurses on a daily basis with or different times that we communicate?
Lots of people. Who are they? Doctors? Pharmacy. Yes. So I didn't even write pharmacy. I'm a little list over here. That's very true. Pharmacy doctors. Um, patients, family members. Yes. So lots different people. Um, lab, physical therapy. Of course the patient's social work. Yes. So you have to know what to communicate in order to be competent. And of course that's going to kind of vary depending on who you're talking to and about. So just some basics. So who's the scariest for you guys, do you think of talk to have a conversation with? I let yes to the doctor's. I 100% agree. I will tell you that as you practice, which you'll hear me say several times, practice, practice, practice is the only way that the communication gets more comfortable and you get more confident. Um, but they are the scariest. But as you practice more and when you're working on a unit, you get to know the doctors.
You kind of know what they want to know. Um, they don't want too much information or just the different details that they like. Um, you kinda know what they would order in a certain situation. So when you do that, then you're kind of, it's a little bit easier because you know what to expect and it makes it more comfortable. Now I have doctors that come to visit me on the floor when they're walking by because I've worked there. So, um, so you'll kind of get there and I know it'll feel like you will never be that confident, but you will. Um, it will definitely just happen. Um, all right, so let's look at, let me share my screen. Give me just a sec.
Okay,
so I pick the right thing here. Alright. Can you guys see it? Yes. Okay, cool. I just wanna make sure before I get going. All right. So we've kind of talked about who are the different people would communicate with and who the scariest people. And I think a lot of us agree that the doctors can be pretty scary. So there's a lot of reasons why people might not feel as competent. So let's talk about those different reasons because if you know your reason why you don't feel confident, then you can work on overcoming that. So sometimes it's that your, the new nurse, RN or LPN. So just the new nurse on the floor, um, which is going to be a lot of you all soon. So also a new unit as you move around to different floors, um, switched jobs. So you're on a new unit.
Um, it can also be different language. So funny story for you guys with this different language piece. We have a, um, you know, you're supposed to use those Sierra calm blue phones. You know, you don't use the family as translators. All these rules. Um, well, one of our nurses was using, um, Google translate and I will tell you, Google translate, you want to put in, um, you put in what you want to say. And if you don't flip it back, you don't realize that sometimes people translate this not so great. So she was trying to tell a family or ask a family when the baby last ate and she said instead of that she said she was going to eat the baby. Um, and then when she tried to communicate about doing lab work that she was going to take the baby to do lab work, she said that she was gonna suck the baby's blood.
So Google translate is that, uh, the best, although I do love some Google, um, so different languages, that can obviously be a big reason. All right. So those are my reasons. I main reasons that I think people are not, um, are not as competent. So let's look at now as ways that we can be confident. So just some different pointers here. So practice, um, and I will say practice key phrases that you're going to say a lot. Um, you know, if it's a certain report sheet, like I work in a nursery, so we have a certain report. She is a certain set of things that we communicate between nurses or um, when we're giving report or to the doctor like our s bar. So use that to practice either, um, use that to practice. So practice those key braces cause you'll get more competent if you're going to be saying them over and over.
Um, and then also just practice, just talking to one another. Um, so what I mean by that is that you can talk to a nurse and practice the conversation. When I was a new nurse, I had a mentor and I would just practice these conversations before I picked up the phone. Um, the mentor was my preceptor. But if you practice having those conversations, um, it just makes it a little more competent. So that preceptor of mind was awesome and he would kind of talk in a mean way to me. And the doctor was way nicer than what he was when he was doing these conversations. But it had me ready so that I knew exactly what I needed to have. Um, so have information in front of you. So don't try to make a phone call to these doctors and not have the chart open in front of you or everything jotted down that you need to say, because you know what's going to happen.
It's going to be 2:00 AM and you're going to get flustered. You're going to get off the phone with the doctor and then remember that you forgot to mention something. Um, and that's the worst. And you don't want to call the doctor back, um, or call them at all at two in the morning. So, and have everything you need in front of you. That's important. Another little key pointer I have is observe others. So when you are on the four working now. So if you aren't a nurse yet and you're working on the floor and you see other nurses talking to doctors are making those calls, the doctors are talking to physical therapy to the other people that we talk to, listen to them and pick up on those pointers. Um, you'll just pick up on things that they're saying and doing and how they, um, respond and that will kind of help cause you'll take that in.
So all those little pieces of information you'll take with you and be able to put into practice and then ask others. So those nurses that have been on the floor for a long time, um, they know what the doctor's like to know what is too much information. They probably know how that doctor is going to respond to something. Um, so ask the other nurses, use them through there. So take advantage of that. And my last little huge point here is to listen. So you cannot be confident in what you're saying to someone if you are not listening to what they're saying to you. So if you are constantly thinking of the next thing you're going to say, then you're not really listening to what the patient or doctor or whoever it is is saying. And then if they go to ask you a question about that, you're not going to know how to respond because you haven't been listening.
So listening is going to help give you confidence cause you'll know better how to respond. And it's also gonna have them give comp or feel confidence in you. Um, there's nothing worse than feeling like you don't know what the conversation is about or what's happening. So listen, those are my big points. Let me unshare my screen here so you guys can see me again. And what questions do you guys have? Anything about communication? And I'm going to get the link for you guys to the lesson. I know some of this seems like such basic knowledge and you're like, I got it, I got it. And then you get in there and it's hard. I'm totally different. I've had lots of, believe me, I've had doctors yell at me, snap at me. Um, but you get used to communicating with them and then having a good way to respond back to them is always helpful to, to just kind of calm it down a little bit.
That link that I put in to take you right into, um, if you click it, the confidence and communication course or lesson on NRSNG and then you'll see the rest of the communication pieces in there. There's s bar, um, information and how to use that. Um, do we need a certificate to translate? I'm all, you're bilingual. Your nurses are gonna love you. Um, yes. So, okay, so in real world versus, uh, in Klutz world. Okay. So you typically, and I will say this is at my hospital, so it could be different other places, but they have to go through a translator has to go through specific training to be certified. I don't know if that's the right term, but to show that they knew the medical, um, knowledge cause some people are bilingual ish, but don't know all the medical terminology. So I would say that, yes, you need that to translate.
Um, but you should get it because you get paid. Awesome. If you could translate, you're super helpful and resourceful to other nurses on the floor. Um, other nurses will probably still take you in and use you for small words and things like that, which is pipeline but big translations of like consent forms and all that legality stuff. Um, you really need to be covered by the hospitals. So that just means that if you have a certificate or your certified or whatever the terminology is to translate, then the hospital is going to, um, help cover you like liability wise, if that makes sense. Hello, Marissa. But that's awesome that you're bilingual. We have a few of our nurses that are, um, and it's so helpful, um, through the workplace they've hired or Xero website to do that. I am not 100% sure. Um, our nurse got certified, but I think it was through a program at the hospital hat that might be something. Um,
okay.
Just to ask at the hospital or just to even Google and see if there's something or call. If you talk to human resources at the hospital, then they would be able to tell you too. That would be another, um, good way. Yes. Stay more into it because you want to be covered my ability wise. But it's just awesome to have a niche. It's obviously bilingual comes natural to you then, um, go for it. That'll really help. Make sure you put that on job applications too. Um, Marissa, I think everybody else can hear me cause they're answering the questions. Maybe try to refresh or, um, make sure if you're on your phone that you don't have the little silent button hit. Sorry. You can't hear me.
Uh,
as I'm telling you what to do, realizing that you can't hear me, it's just thank you paying. Sorry. I love that. I just gave her a whole, I'm detail what to do and she couldn't hear me anyway. Nobody else caught that to stop me. Hopefully she gets it straight. All right. What other communication questions do you guys have? So for end clicks and testing world, um, try to make sure you know about the translator thing. So no members, um, you know, or friends that can translate, make sure you're always using a service. So whatever the hospital has, um, Kenny, I really need to remember to concentrate on the same cause I'm always trying to think of an accident. Same. Yes. You're welcome. I hope it helps. Yeah, it's really important because, and I think people can tell that too. I know I, um, I had a friend in college and her and her family were very good at talking with conversation, but I always felt like they were not listening to what I was saying.
One because I felt like I was always re telling them the same things every high som, but also I could just tell that they were kinda thinking of the next thing to say that they were ready to respond quickly. So the next thing versus listening to what I was saying, how fluent do you need to be in medical terminology? Um, if you're talking about to be certified, like we were talking about before, you need to be fluent in it. Um, if you're talking about day to day get by, you don't you just use a translator sir. Um, but for by are you bilingual also? Okay. Um, yeah, they are completely flown. We have our translators come in. Occasionally they'll have us repeat something like maybe we talked too fast or whatever it is. Um, or they're trying to think of the word, but they are fluid then otherwise you just get on that helpful translator line, which is super helpful. What other questions do you guys have?
[inaudible]
I wish I was bilingual. Oh good. Katherine. Glad it was great. I feel like some of it is very just common basic, but sometimes good to have these reminders. Okay. Documentation with communication. Yes. So things that you would ask me if you call it after you should actually meant what time you called them. Um, because usually we say like a rule of thumb is 20 minutes for them to call back.
Yeah.
So, um, here, let me tell Marissa instead of talking. So sorry guys, hold on one second. Okay. Um,
okay,
so documentation. Okay. So you want to document when you call them. Um, and then within like 20 minutes, if they don't call back, you would say page doctor so-and-so again. Um, you'd ever want to be like, but after it call me back. But you're just showing what you are doing. Um, so making sure that includes that you're covered so that the next day if someone's like, gosh, that or later that night they realize like, you know, something's gone on, a doctor hasn't called back, it shows that you have done it. Um, so that kind of communication, if you're having specific things with a patient that would be, um, okay. For instance, the area I work sometimes on child protective services is involved. And so we're trying to document things like communication that the parent has had with us. Like the parent called to check on the child or the end of the day, no communication from the parent. Um, cause hopefully you would think that that would matter, right, if they've called the check on their child or not. So it's communicated that way in a court. They could pull it and see what has happened. Um, so those are important things to kind of document. But make sure you're definitely at least documenting when you call a doctor, um, that's really important. And then when they call back what orders you receive no for orders or that kind of thing.
Um, okay. I was just making sure I didn't miss any questions. That was all about formers, other communication things.
Okay.
That's so strange that there's a mute button that drops down. I haven't seen that. Some more with an NCLEX. Okay. I'm trying to think what else. Okay. So our translator, the documentation thing would be key on there. Um, so things like if the doctor that you document the time that you called, um, if the doctor did not call back, then you would put in there. You don't want to say, you never want to make it like you're pointing fingers at somebody else, even though that can be really frustrating. So like let's say at 10:00 AM I call it doctor, I put 10:00 AM put call doctor, whatever. Um, and then at maybe 10, 20, 10, 30, um, put 10 30 page doctor again. So it's not like never heard from doctor or waiting on doctor to call. Like you're just saying exactly what you're doing. Um, and so it's important cause then a legal issue, you don't want to be, um, pointing any fingers. So that is important. Um, I'm trying to think what other communication things for and clicks. Those are. So basic questions, I'm hoping you wouldn't have those. So I want you to get the harder questions. That means you're doing better, um,
communication with patients. So that is probably more so on in clicks. Um, so that's things like we want to do the open ended questions, right? So, um, leave it open for them to respond, not shutting them off to just yes or no. Um, having that therapeutic communication. So therapeutic touch while you're communicating with them. Um, I feel like the communication questions are all really difficult. I don't know about you guys, but I'm like, well, I wouldn't really ever say that, but I think that that's probably the right thing to say. Um, so sometimes when I was in nursing school and I'd look at those communication questions, I would read it, like to think which one would I want the response to, what, what would feel the best response. Um, but those can all be really difficult. Um, you OK for end CLECs you are not supposed to ask why questions?
So you don't want to say like, why did you do that? Or um, that kind of thing. You want to spin it a little differently. So you could still kind of ask the same question but not put why that makes sense. Um, yes, right. It can make them be defensive. So you don't want to ask why or like what did you do to make him hurt you? I feel like that's always a question on a test, um, when it's not their fault or whatever. Um, sample and questions you have on your website. Pretty similar to what is on x, easier or harder. So we have our MPQ a huge range of questions. So we have where they're kind of easy. Um, and then we have where they're more higher, lush and say easy but not as higher level analytical questions, more of just comprehension. Like you know this because of this, um, where you get into the analysis questions and it's more kind of piecing things together.
So when you're doing your simclex, it should be that if you get this question right, then you get harder and you keep getting up and you get scored based on that. So the inclax is a computer system where it will pull questions. So if you get a higher level question and a more analytical question than you're going to keep on that track of analytical questions, if you get it wrong, then you might drop down to just a little bit more of a comprehension mace. Um, so it's set up like that. And there's a ton of questions.
Yes. Um, community section. Cause normally I wouldn't say the things they say we should do a patient, which I know, I agree it is. Um, I think communicate communication questions are really difficult and they are for sure one of the ones that are questions that I always think two or three are right and I'm really just guessing. Um, I'll be honest, I'm right there with you. So just remember your basics. Like don't ask why. If the answer starts with why that's not the answer. Um, if it's a yes or no question, not the answer and then hopefully you've narrowed down to only one maybe and then can make the best choice.
I always felt like they were very, like, it seemed like it was a nurse that only had one patient, which is never how it's going to be. But um, yes the communication questions are very difficult, but just knew those basic things and then hopefully you can narrow it down enough. What other questions do you guys have? A, should we be worried? Where are you using the same clap? Seeing questions that Mbq Bank and passing the [inaudible] hold on, I got to reread this. Should we be worried when using the same quack seen questions that Mbq bank passing passings template.
Oh. Like cause you're getting the same question again from an MPQ. Um, I would think if it was just a few questions here or there, it would not make that big of a difference. Yes, I know. I understand what you're saying. I don't think it would make that huge of a difference because it's just a couple of questions I'll tell you that I know that they're really working on it to make sure that people aren't getting more than one core, the same question more than once during the simclex. Um, I think you will see MPQ questions repeated like the ones from each lesson in the [inaudible] cause they're all pulled from that in other places. Um, but if you want a more concrete answer, cause mine was on a a hundred percent, if you send, um, tammy@contactatnrsng.com just the attention to the stem class, um, they, she will quickly respond to you, I'm sure, um, and let you know that. But I don't think that getting a repeat of one or two questions is going to make that huge of a difference. Good. I'm so glad it was one of the best practice tests you've used. I always say, I wish this was around when I was in school for sure. I was just going into those like Saunders' books and just practice books and doing questions over and over again. But um, yeah, I'm glad it was helpful.
It's okay. You can use it now and just keep practicing. Yes. Good. And you should, um, you know, there's those study plans. Have you seen for if you've signed up to take your boards again, there's study plans that can help show you what to do each day to get you prepared. Have you seen that? Okay, good. I was gonna say Tammy's good at, she'll set you up with one of those too for anybody else that needs it. And I think actually Tammy has her maybe first or second tutoring session coming up. That is about, I'm these, if you look on the tutoring,
um,
so paying if you, so it's on tutoring and I think it's this week or next I saw and it's about making a study plan and she shows you how to do it or is going to, um, and then if you do contact it, nrsng.com and put it to her attention with stipend, she will help create one for you. She'll make a video for you, um, to get you the most out of the site. Either her or sandy will.
Um,
yes, do those study plans for sure. Cause it kind of shows you each day what to do. It can be really overwhelming. So this just shows you, okay, I need to do this this day and then you can just check that box off that you've done it. Oh, good. Melissa said she's great at setting it up, so she'll, um, she's clearly done one. So great. So take advantage of that. There's so much on the website and we are all here to help you and once you guys to be successful. So anything we can do to help you, um, we're happy to do so. Join her tutoring session and then, yeah, just contact them. They'll get it. Oh, good. Yes. There is one just for, I forgot that. That there was one for repeat test takers. Good. Yeah. Take your, the answer whenever you can.
I love the chair at all degrees. They're awesome. I kind of wanna jump in some of them just to add, to sit back and listen and be reminded about different things that I've sort of forgotten. Oh, good. I'm so glad I'll have to pass this on. Our team will be happy to hear all the great reviews you guys are given. All right guys. Well, if you don't have any other questions, I hope this was helpful and um, we'll give you a little bit more confidence next time you communicate. Remember that as you're working on the floor is listen to those nurses. Have the conversations. Okay.
Um,
yes. Take it. Well, at least you're taking advantage of them, Alyssa. Some people be sleeping in, but I'm glad you're here studying. Good. All right guys. Well, happy nursing.
Okay.