Chapter 19 Report

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 2 Overview  Verbal Report  Interpersonal Communication

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 3 Verbal Report  An expanded radio report an EMT gives to another health care provider taking over or joining the care of that patient  May be the single most important activity performed by an EMT for a patient, especially for one unable to speak for herself

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 4 Verbal Report  The right person –Be sure you give the verbal report to the right person –This will most often be the nurse at the bedside –If it is a trauma, many systems will have a trauma team waiting; give your report to the physician leading the team

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 5 Verbal Report  The right place –Consider where the report is given Are family members or friends standing within earshot? They may misinterpret what they hear. –Patients have the right to confidentiality Ensure that private medical information is given only to those health care providers who will be treating the patient

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 6 Verbal Report  The right place –Some health care practitioners would prefer to get the patient’s history directly from the patient, provided the patient is alert and awake –Give vitals and other pertinent information that the patient would not know –Don’t talk over the patient and ignore her, especially if she is capable of answering questions herself; this would be rude

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 7 Verbal Report  The right time –Every patient is important, but be mindful when the emergency department is busy –If the ED physician is working a cardiac arrest, you may need to wait –Determine the patient’s level of urgency before insisting on being heard by the emergency department personnel

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 8 Interpersonal Communication  Part speech and part body language  Get the message across when delivering your report that you are a caring professional –Stand upright –Speak clearly –Facial expressions and tone of voice should accurately convey the patient’s condition and that you care  It’s all about professionalism!

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 9 Interpersonal Communication  Communication barriers –Some health care providers may rush to judgment because of personal bias, emotions, or beliefs after listening to an EMT’s report –Attempt to give a complete report –If this is not possible, focus the report on the most important aspects of the patient’s condition –If this fails and the message still isn’t being received, try repetitive persistence

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 10 Stop and Review  What is the purpose of the verbal report?  What are the three “rights” of effective interpersonal communication?  Describe some common barriers to interpersonal communication.  Describe one technique you can use to overcome someone not listening to your verbal report.