When preparing simulation training, targeting specific tasks to be included can provide concrete goals for the interactions and assessment. This page includes a variety of functions, tasks, and examples nurses can use to gather information, explain, instruct, advise, communicate, and support patients.

These tasks stem from two main research studies. Mathew Porter11 investigated essential spoken tasks for nurses in Japan through an analysis of nurse-patient communication in the nurse's duties. He identified 23 task types, including both routine and complex interactions, and encouraged the use of target task analysis. Following from that research, Simon Capper et al.12 developed a nationwide survey based on focus group interviews with Japanese nursing professionals. This study looked at functional language use and the value of task-based scenarios including affect. Both of these studies focused on real-world nursing duties and scenarios. Based on those studies, the following list of functions, tasks and examples used in nursing were created.

At the bottom of this page are further Occupational English Test (OET) Linguistic and Clinical Communicative categories13.

We hope that these suggestions can help both nursing and language educators to find the balance between linguistic and clinical communication support for nursing students to practice interaction with patients from diverse backgrounds.

Gathering Information

1. about the patient's personal information and obtaining informed consent

1. • • Explaining the purpose, risks and benefits of an intervention and obtaining consent

2. about the patient’s chief complaint or current condition

1. • • Conducting a preliminary medical interview or an ongoing assessment, assessing adverse reactions, performing a physical assessment or blood clot screening, checking adverse reactions, performing a physical assessment or blood clot screening, checking on a patient during nursing rounds, checking on a patient during a procedure during nursing rounds, checking on a patient during a procedure

3. about the patient’s lifestyle

1. • • Conducting a social history, asking about the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily life and instrumental activities of daily life, assessing challenges related to the client’s health, behavior, cognitive ability, and communication ability

4. about the patient or family members’ medical history

1. • • Conducting a medical history, asking about allergies and current medications

5. about family relationships

1. • • Understanding family structure and roles, who is assisting the patient, and methods for home health care

6. about the patient's cultural background

• Collecting relevant cultural information related to lifestyle and daily habits

Explaining

7. about a procedure that another medical professional will perform on the patient

• Explaining a medical exam, giving a walk-through of the operating room, and explaining the purpose and content of a procedure

8. about the patient’s condition

• Explaining about the patient’s disease, symptoms, prognosis, care plan, reactions to treatment, changes in condition, and health maintenance

9. about the patient’s treatment or care 

• Explaining about dialysis, endoscopy, endoscopic procedures, the treatment process, an operation, and post-discharge treatment

10. about hospitalisation 

• Explaining medical fees or post-op rehabilitation

Instructing

11. about how to use a medical device 

• Explaining about home oxygen treatment or home dialysis, training clients to use assistive medical devices

12. about how to perform a technique

• Explaining nursing care or medical skills for use in home care, explaining post-op breathing methods

Advising

13. about necessary lifestyle changes

• Providing support for smoking cessation, lifestyle adjustments, improving client quality of life, restructuring family roles, accepting changes, maintaining health, and doing self-care

Performing 

14. a procedure on the patient

• Collecting blood, checking blood pressure, inserting/removing needles

15. nursing care 

• Providing care during treatment, providing specialist care such as foot care or stoma/wound care, changing dressings, making the bed, and providing toilet assistance

16. physical assistance 

• Guiding clients in/out of exam rooms, assisting patients with eating, evacuating, moving, and changing positions

Communicating

17. to clarify and check comprehension 

• Confirming clients understand the doctor, providing supplemental explanations

18. to answer questions and requests

• Responding to questions about condition, care, and treatment

• Responding to clients’ needs relating to diet, rooming, and accompanying family members

19. to orient patients on what is happening

• Using polite openings and closings, clearly signposting parts of conversations and procedures, using open questions to encourage patient narrative and closed questions to check conditions

Supporting Patients

20. to provide moral or psychological support 

• Alleviating anxiety, discomfort, fear, pain; helping clients become aware of latent problems 

• Helping clients maintain a good relationship - small talk, empathy, encouragement and reassurance

Managing Stressful Situations

21. dealing with upset, aggressive, disoriented, or uncooperative clients

• Alleviating the situation and accomplishing the nursing goal

22. telling bad news

• Following up on a disappointing diagnosis

23. dealing with emergencies

• Managing a patient and family in an emergency

   Liaising 

24. acting as an advocate for clients 

• Supporting clients when making decisions about treatment, understanding and respecting clients’ wishes

25. between patients and medical/social services

• Introducing social resources and schemes or other health services to the client, holding a pre-discharge conference, working with other healthcare professionals and contacting family members in an emergency

26. visiting clients’ homes

• Performing a home inspection or site visit, providing on-call care

Communicative skills can be prepared and practised in advance of any role plays. They can also be assessed independently or as part of performing nursing tasks. The Occupational English Test (OET) has become an international standard of healthcare English communication and includes the Linguistic and Clinical Communication categories shown below13.