You are taking a patient’s vital signs as part of the admissions process. According to the patient’s chart, no vital signs have been recorded yet on this visit for this man, Mr. Ronald Smith. But the patient insists you are the second person to take these signs, and he is tired of waiting to see the doctor. What might a person with good communication skills say?
Answer
A
“Sorry, Ron, but whoever did it last did such a lousy job that they did not write anything down.”
B
“My apologies, Mr. Smith, but your chart is not showing that information. We will get you in to see the doctor just as soon as we make sure this information is complete.”
C
“Oh, really? What did they say your blood pressure was? I will just write it down here.”
D
“Well, you had better get used to waiting, because you are going to be waiting here for awhile. Here’s a magazine.”
Explanation
A good response acknowledges Mr. Smith’s concern politely, explains what you can see in the chart without blaming anyone, and reassures him about the next step. Choice B does this by apologizing, stating that the information is not showing in the chart, and saying staff will complete it before getting him to the doctor. The other choices are dismissive, invite inaccurate documentation, or make the patient more frustrated.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.