Title
Giving Information using Plain Language
Author
Rochester Community and Technical College
Revisions by Sue Field DNP, RN, CNE
Put X in box to correspond with
the SLO (s)
Patient Relationship
Centered Care
Informatics/Technology
Nursing Judgment/Evidence
Based care
Put X in box to correspond with
the Competency (s)
Communication Skills
Nursing Process
Learning Needs
Documentation
Informatics
Prioritization
Knowledge/Practice/Ethical
Comportment
K
P
E
x
x
x
Nursing Judgment
Student
Learning
Outcome(s)
Professional Identify and
behaviors
Professionalism
Ethical/Legal
Quality Improvement
Patient Care Concerns
Systems
Patient Complications
Safe Nursing
Communication
Safety
Teamwork and Collaboration
Conflict Recognition
Managing Care of the
Individual Patient
Managing Care of the Individual
Patient
Assign/Monitor
Where should this assignment be used:
Classroom
x
Clinical Setting
Independent Study
Online/Web Based
Skills Lab
x
Simulation
Revised from Linda Caputi © (What type of assignment is this?)
Patient Care Assignment
Non Patient Care Assignments
Patient Care
Thinking Focused
Patient Focused
Systems Focused
The assignments are related to
Assignments encourages
The student focuses on
Assignments help the student
the student while providing
critical thinking and clinical
specific aspects of patient understand the clinical world,
patient care in the clinical setting.
reasoning and teaches
care such as safety, falls,
the nurse’s work therein, and
Example: Concept mapping care
students to think like a
diabetes, other diseases,
the effect of the system on
for one or multiple patients.
nurse.
etc.
the nurse and the patient.
Example: How the system
completes medication
administration from order to
delivery to patient.
x
1
Assignment: Patient Education and Health Literacy
Competencies measured in this assignment:
PATIENT/RELATIONSHIP CENTERED CARE - COMMUNICATION SKILLS COMPETENCY
Describe (K), demonstrate (P), and value (E) self-awareness, cultural sensitivity, and caring effective communication with patients.
PATIENT/RELATIONSHIP CENTERED CARE - LEARNING NEEDS COMPETENCY
Describe (K), provide (P) health care information, (SOP) and contribute (P) to established teaching plans for individual patients while (E) appreciating the importance of patient education.
Learning Needs Competencies: Reinforce teaching plans
Watch the AMA Health Literacy Video - Short Version (5 minutes). The video can be found at: http://youtu.be/BgTuD7l7LG8
Respond to the worksheet questions as they relate to the video supported with findings from the course textbook.
Instructions:

Complete worksheet Use your own words in your explanations.
Assessment
1.

Questions
Watch: http://youtu.be/BgTuD7l7LG8
Identify 3 therapeutic techniques used in the video
with examples (verbal or nonverbal).
Answers
S (__points each)
Correctly identifies
3 verbal and/or
nonverbal
communication
techniques in U
tube video on
Health Literacy.
Evaluation: Grading Rubric
NI (__ points each)
U (__points each)
Correctly identifies
Correctly identifies
2 verbal and/or
less than 2 verbal
nonverbal
and/or nonverbal
communication
communication
techniques in U
techniques in U
tube video on
tube video on
Health Literacy.
Health Literacy.


2.
2. Give 2 reasons why it is important to “plain language”
instead of “medical language” when you are giving
information to patients.
Able to accurately
give 2 reasons why
it is important to
“plain language”
when giving
information to
2
Able to give 1
reason why it is
important to use
“plan language”
when giving
information to
Unable to give a
reason why it is
important to use
“plain language”
when giving
information to
Assessment
Questions
3.
2. . Many times patients do not understand the words that
we use when we are talking to them.
The following table has medical words that patients
may not understand. Explain each word in “plain
language”. Taken from:
http://healthliteracymn.org/resources/presentationsand-training
Answers
S (__points each)
patients.
Able to accurately
and clearly use
plain language to
define medical
terms on all items
listed.
Insert answers into table
Point:
Total Points:
3
Evaluation: Grading Rubric
NI (__ points each)
U (__points each)
patients.
patients.
Able to accurately
Unable to
and clearly use
accurately and
plain language to
clearly define at
define 75% of the
least 75% of the
medical terms
medical terms
listed.
listed in plain
language.
Revised from assignment shared by Rochester Community and Technical College revised by Sue Field.
DELETE THIS COLUMN FOR STUDENT ASSIGNMENT. (Instructor Key only)
Medical terms that patients may not understand
Medical Term
Plain language explanation
Plain language explanation
Adverse
Bad
Analgesic
Pain killer
Anti-inflammatory
Helps swelling and irritation go away
Avoid
Stay away from, do not use/eat
Contraception
Helps you not get pregnant
Diet
What you eat, you meals
Generic
Something that does not have a brand name, same drug/food
Internist
Regular doctor
Intermittent
Off and on
Oral
By mouth, eat/drink/swallow
Cellulitis
Skin infection
Enlarge
Get bigger
Lateral
Outside
Lesion
Sore, wound
Lipids
Fats in the blood
Menses
Period
Monitor
Keep track of, keep an eye on
Normal Range
Where it should be, provide the range
Osteoporosis
Soft, brittle bones
Referral
Ask to see another doctor
Terminal
Going to die, not going to live
Toxic
Poisonous
Depression
Feeling sad or down
4