Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Therapeutic versus social talk
Professional communication has a purpose: to gather information and to help the resident feel heard. Therapeutic techniques include active listening, open-ended questions, restating, reflecting, clarifying, silence, and offering general leads. Non-therapeutic habits - why questions, false reassurance (do not worry), giving advice, changing the subject, and saying I know how you feel - shut conversation down and appear on the exam as wrong answers.
Adapt to the person. For hearing loss, face them, get their attention, speak clearly at a lower pitch, and avoid shouting. For a resident with aphasia, ask yes-or-no questions and allow time. Use a qualified interpreter, not a family child. Sit at eye level, respect personal space, and notice that crossed arms or a clenched jaw may matter more than words. Report changes in mood, speech, or behavior to the nurse; aides observe and report, they do not diagnose.
Reporting follows SBAR: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. Objective facts only - the resident drank 60 mL, not the resident refused again.
Traps. Questions that reward a kind-sounding but dismissive reply, that have you explain a diagnosis, or that have you promise to keep a secret about something unsafe.
Rule of thumb. If your sentence starts with at least or why don't you, stop and rephrase.