CNA Module 3: Communication/Interpersonal Skills

These modules are free for all our YAYA CNA students. If you are a current YAYA student, please contact us to we can provide you with free access to these courses.

Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this unit is to introduce concepts and skills required for the Nurse Assistant to communicate effectively and interact appropriately with patients/residents, patient’s/residents’ families and guests, and other members of the health care team.

Terminology

1. Anger

2. Aphasia

3. Basic human need

4. Body language

5. Communication

6. Conflict

7. Conversion

8. Defense mechanisms

9. Denial

10. Displacement

11. Dyslexia

12. Dysphasia

13. Empathy

14. Family

15. Identification

16. Medical chart

17. Message

18. Myth

19. Non-verbal communication

20. Personal space

21. Physiological

22. Projection

23. Psychosocial

24. Rationalization

25. Receiver

26. Regression

27. Report

28. Repression

29. Sender

30. Sublimation

31. Substitution

32. Sympathy

33. Verbal communication

34. Voice pitch

35. Voice tone

Patient, resident, and client are synonymous terms referring to the person receiving care

Performance Standards (Objectives):

Upon completion of two (2) hours of class plus homework assignments and clinical assignments, the learner will be able to:

1. Define key terminology.

2. Identify and discuss the five basic physiological and psychosocial needs of all humans, as described by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

3. Recognize and report patient/resident behaviors that reflect unmet human needs.

4. Define communication and therapeutic communication and identify two routes of communication.

5. Describe the key steps involved in the communication process and methods used in communication.

6. Describe the reasons for communication breakdown.

7. Describe effective communication/interpersonal skills used with patients/residents, their families and guests.

8. Describe conflict and measures for conflict resolution.

9. Discuss touch as a form of communication, including body language and personal space.

10. Identify common psychological defense mechanisms.

11. Describe family communication/interaction patterns and the role of the Nurse Assistant.

12. Describe social and cultural factors influencing communication and emotional reactions to illness and disability.

13. Describe communication between the members of the health care team