Communication Case Study
Sandra Brown
HCS 350
February 23, 2015
Frances Johnson

Communication Case Study
Communication Case Study

Effective communication in the healthcare setting is vital to provide optimal care to patients. Delegation requires clarity and precision for effectual outcomes. Complete understanding of the task delegated yields greater outcome for patients and staff performance.
In the first scenario, Rashad is attending the team meeting and tries to clarify his role as assistive personnel. He presents to the nurses that they would be able to rely on him to help with their patients during the shift for hygienic care and toileting. He is quickly discounted by one of the staff RNs, Robin, who raised her voice and firmly stated, "You are only an aide. That is in the RN role. We don't expect you to think, just to do what we tell you to when we tell you." Robin at this point is displaying an aggressive style of communication. Rashad quietly sat without responding because he was in fear of losing his job. Passive communication presents here. Rashad then started to plan on how he would make Robin pay for her statement by not doing anything without being told.(Hansten & Jackson p. 283. 2009).Rashad at this point starts to display passive aggressive communication style. Communicating using an aggressive form can be very ineffective and disrespectful. The nurse made Rashad feel like he was not valuable to the team. This aggressive style of communication discomforts others and is used to set someone up to overpower the situation. It is not a form of communication that allows for corresponds to thoughts or feelings; not good for team building.
In the second scenario, Pamela, one of the school nurses in a rural county, was following up on some vision and hearing testing done by one of the volunteers, Brigite. She was concerned about the correctness of the work due to the way these readings were likened to previous readings. She decided to retest everyone instead of discussing the findings with Brigite, (Hansten & Jackson p. 283. 2009). The nurse in this scenario is using the non-assertive version of communication. It is evident that she does not trust Brigite's ability to do the job correctly. Nonassertive communication creates lost opportunities for development of skills in managing conflicts and resolving issues. This could lead to burnout on the nurse part and wastage of resources for having to do the work over. Passivity, avoidance, and accommodation all go together to create overworked RNs and a poorly functioning team (Hansten & Jackson p. 279. 2009)
In the third scenario, Rosa, a manager of an ambulatory care surgical center has informed Mabel that one of her duties is to scrub in for orthopedic cases as instructed. Mabel did not want to do this because she states it was too physically stressing. Rosa wanted the staff to work together as a team, with everyone using his or her strengths to bring the best care for the patients, and that being involved in orthopedic cases was a part of Mabel's job description (Hansten & Jackson p. 283. 2009). Rosa is utilizing assertive communication that according to Hansten and Jackson (2009) "are confident and positive and lay claim to their right to speak up for themselves". Mable further went on to boast that she was "the granddaughter of the chairman of the board and that she'd get Rosa's head on a platter" (Hansten & Jackson p. 283. 2009). The communication style exhibited by Mable was aggressive. Mable's communication style was also inappropriate and condescending. According to Hansten and Jackson (2009) "aggressive behavior is an encroachment or attack upon another and is almost always hostile in intent. The communication flows from the aggressive person outward. Little listening takes place while he or she talks at, not with, others. This style, long on criticism and short on praise, successfully suppresses ideas and feedback from others".
In my personal experience, I recall my previous employment when I gave my manager my resignation letter. She was very arrogant and before even opening the letter, told me she would not accept it. She stated that she didn't think I was making the right move. When I told her there was no room for advancement there, she got so upset and demanded that I stay on the schedule if even part time. I remember sitting in her office and just being speechless because I didn't expect that sort of behavior. She always said she was proud of us LPNs going back to school. When I became an RN and wanted to move on, she humiliated me. She called me a few days after having that conversation in her office and left me an awful voicemail that I could expect from a superior. She told me she was the reason I was where I was, and I should never bite the hand that feeds me. When I listened to the voicemail, I had so many emotions going on. I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest, I was filled with anger and rage too. I didn't expect someone who was supposed to be a leader to behave in this fashion. She exhibited aggressive communication style. She tried to bully me and manipulate me to do what she wanted me to do. I did return her call and spoke very politely to her. I think a better way I could have handled that situation was to be assertive. I should have rehearsed the conversation between myself and her before it actually happened, and I believe the outcome could have been different.

Reference
Hansten, R. I., & Jackson, M. (2009). Clinical delegation skills: A handbook for professional practice (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning