Communication Challenges

Hocus Pocus: Perspective on Noncompliance

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

The term noncompliant assumes in part that the patient has accepted the premise of what they are instructed to comply with.

“I Used My Courage”: A Strategy for Facing Internal Challenges to Nursing Practice

By

Ann Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

Nursing takes courage. Sometimes that courage is needed to respond to a difficult patient or case; other times it is needed to respond to your own reactions and needs.

Guide Dogs and White Canes: Navigating Patients, Families Through Cancer at Their Pace

By

Ann Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

A reflection on how nurses guide patients and their families through the cancer journey.

Mentoring 101: The Importance of Supporting New Nurses

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

Nurses need to rethink their attitude toward those who are new to the profession, lead with compassion, and share their knowledge gained through experience.

‘Are We There Yet? How Much Longer?’: Deciphering Patients’ Persistent Questions

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

How do you answer when the patient or family asks, “What is next?” More importantly, though, you need to recognize if they are asking that question, or is there something else they are really asking.

How Keep/Stop/Start Analysis Can Improve Nursing Practice

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

This simple framework for communicating can be adapted to fit each situation, regardless of it being a nurse-to-patient or a nurse-to-nurse setting.

Too Much Information: When Prognosis Breaks Down Patient Communications

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

Overwhelmed by her poor prognosis, a patient with a newly diagnosed advanced cancer cuts off communicating with her health care team.

Medical Terms in Patient Education: Using the Confusing to Explain the Complicated

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

Medical terminology can be a foreign language — or confusing, at the least — for many patients. Ann Brady uses a patient encounter to illustrate the potential miscommunication inherent in using “medicalese” in patient communication.

When There Are No Words: Interpreting Patients’ and Families’ Subtle Messages

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

Although many physical expressions are universal, oncology nurses may be challenged to catch notice of more subtle body language from patients or a family member.

WWW: Navigating Complex Conversations Regarding Patients With Advanced Disease

By

Ann J. Brady, MSN, RN-BC, CHPN

WWW is not for the world-wide web, but it is an easy way to remember the 3 w’s of communication with patients with advanced disease: wish, worry, wonder.