Chapter Review and Assessment
174 Essential Skills for Health Careers Success
Summary
To be a competent communicator, you must
understand and practice English language usage
rules. Your ability to communicate successfully
is dependent upon your understanding of lan-
guage. This is true in speaking and listening, as
well as written communication through letters,
reports, essays, and e-mails. Communicating
clearly while giving a presentation and hold-
ing a meeting is critical for succeeding in both
endeavors. If you use incorrect English in your
written and verbal communications, you may be
misunderstood.
Another way to communicate is through
the use of body language. Reading others’ body
language and being aware of your own body
language does much to enhance your commu-
nication skills. If you are unaware of the mes-
sage your body language is sending, you may
be sending a message to a patient, a coworker,
supervisor, or visitors that is not what you
intended at all. You must also be aware of cul-
tural differences regarding gestures, touch, and
proxemics.
Unfortunately, when you speak or write
poorly, you may be judged as unprofessional or
uneducated. Correct spelling, sentence structure,
grammar, and punctuation are essential to your
success as an employee. It is critical when work-
ing within the healthcare world that you learn
and use proper English.
Review Questions
Answer the following questions using what you have
learned in this chapter.
Short Answer
1. List three barriers to communication that you
might encounter while working in healthcare.
2. Explain the term proxemics.
3. Describe three errors you could make while
holding a meeting.
4. Explain what is meant by active listening.
5. Discuss your responsibilities as a good
employee when attending a meeting.
True or False
6. True or False? Meetings should start and end
promptly.
7. True or False? It is important to read your
presentation to the audience.
8. True or False? A healthcare worker must be
respectful of a patient’s personal territory.
9. True or False? If you are a new employee, you
should not speak up in meetings.
10. True or False? It is permissible to leave a caller
on hold for up to 5 minutes.
11. True or False? HIPPA stands for Health Insur-
ance Portability and Accountability Act.
12. True or False? Pet names for patients make
them feel welcome.
13. True or False? You should never tell a child
that a procedure could be painful.
14. True or False? Personal space requirements
are universal in all cultures.
15. True or False? In general, men seek more per-
sonal space than women.
Multiple Choice
16. Semicolons are used in which of the follow-
ing ways?
A. They are the same as colons.
B. They are used to separate clauses or
some items in a series.
C. Semicolons come before dashes.
D. They are seldom used in formal writing.
17. Which of the following words is correctly
capitalized?
A. Summer
B. wednesday
C. october
D. English language