Communication Competence Analysis
Strong
I am sensitive to cultural variation and differences, and I see my own culture’s teachings and those of other cultures without undue bias. I have been a license practical nurse for 29+ years, and have worked with many ethnic groups. I am also a black American and have much compassion for people. It means a lot for my patients, my friends, and my relatives to understand me and my culture. I want to always make that extra effort to understand other cultures, especially in my profession –which I feel would make them feel at ease. Different cultures are interesting to me, and I love listening to people talk in their dialect and/or foreign languages. I also like to get involved in communicating with them, having them tell me what a few words mean in their language so that when I see them, I can say “ola, que passé”. Because communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable, I look carefully for hidden meanings, am cautious in communicating messages that I may later wish to withdraw, and am aware that any communication act occurs but once. Again, I refer back to my profession as a nurse where communication is inevitable, can be irreversible, and unrepeatable. I have to communicate with interdisplinary staff, I cannot discuss certain information with the patient or the family, and I have to watch my patient to see if they are in pain, have question about their illness, or there may be questions I need to ask them. When taking a doctor’s order, I need to clarify with the doctor to make sure I am carrying out the right orders because it could mean the difference between life and death.
Need Improvement I assess my channel options and evaluate whether my message will be more effective if delivered face-to-face, through e-mail, or by some third party. I need improvement in that area because, that is