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Clear Instructions for Emergency Care

This document provides guidance on giving clear instructions in healthcare settings. It outlines using the imperative form to directly tell someone what to do or not do, and using "make sure" to emphasize importance. When asking for instructions, the present simple, "have to", "shall", and "should" can be used. Examples are given of matching beginnings and endings of instruction sentences. The document also provides a speaking activity where one student explains an emergency situation and the other responds as a helpline nurse to provide instructions.

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elza
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654 views4 pages

Clear Instructions for Emergency Care

This document provides guidance on giving clear instructions in healthcare settings. It outlines using the imperative form to directly tell someone what to do or not do, and using "make sure" to emphasize importance. When asking for instructions, the present simple, "have to", "shall", and "should" can be used. Examples are given of matching beginnings and endings of instruction sentences. The document also provides a speaking activity where one student explains an emergency situation and the other responds as a helpline nurse to provide instructions.

Uploaded by

elza
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Medical Focus: Equipment for Observations: Introduces medical equipment used to take patient observations and includes exercises for matching equipment with definitions and pictures.
  • Communication Focus: Instructions to Patients: Focuses on providing effective communication strategies and exercises for giving instructions to patients in a healthcare setting.
  • Guidelines for Giving Instructions: Provides guidelines on giving clear instructions to patients and includes exercises to practice matching instructions with scenarios.
  • Speaking Activity: Presents speaking scenarios for engaging in healthcare encounters with practical examples of telephone conversations during emergencies.

Giving Instructions

We need to be able to give instructions clearly to our patients or to other health care professionals to be able
to provide the best possible care.

To tell somebody what to do, you can use the Imperative. Start the sentence with a verb without a subject.

Check for signs of circulation


Apply the pads to his chest

To tell what not to do, add Don’t before the imperative

Don’t remove burnt clothing

To emphasize that is important, you can use Make sure …

Make sure the wound is clean.


Make sure you don’t touch his body.

When asking for instructions, you can use the Present Simple, have to, shall and should.

What do I do now?
Do I have to immobilize his leg?
Shall I take off the dressing now?
What dosage should I give him?

Exercise 2.3 Match the beginnings and endings of the sentence.


1. Check that a. I count up to between breaths?
2. Make sure you b. I give her?
3. What do c. have to apply the pads?
4. Don’t let d. the patient is breathing.
5. Should I e. the patient try to stand up
6. Shall I bandage f. put the burnt area under running water?
7. Don’t g. the patient’s pulse
8. What dosage shall h. tie the bandage too tight!
9. Take i. the wound now?
10. Where do I j. use a sterile needle

8
Speaking Activity

Student A
1. You are a parent. Five minutes ago a poisonous snake bit your child. You phone an emergency helpline.
Explain the situation to the helpline nurse, then listen and use these notes to find out what to do. Note down
the instructions that you are given.

Example: What shall I do with ………?


Should I put it on ice? Should I …………?
 wound – ice? bandage?
 child thirsty - milk OK?
 walk around?
 doctor?

2. A man you work with has spilt pesticide on his face, eyes and mouth. Phone the emergency helpline for
instructions. Explain the situation to the helpline nurse, then listen and use these notes to find out what to
do. Note down the instructions that you are given.

 difficulty breathing – walk around?


 drink?
 mouth? eyes? skin?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Student B

1. You are a nurse working on a telephone helpline. Listen to your caller explain the emergency, then use
these notes to tell the caller what to do to answer any questions.

Example: Wash the wound with soap and water. Don’t practice …
 wound – wash (soap and water), ice X, bandage (not too tight)
 immobilize the leg (lower than the heart)
 stand up, move X
 food, drink X
 hospital

2. You are a nurse working on a telephone helpline. Listen to you caller explain the emergency, then use
these notes to tell the caller what to do and to answer any questions.

Example: Make sure he gets fresh air!


Open windows and doors and …
 fresh air (windows /doors , carry if necessary , walk X)
 mouth – wash out (water)
 milk (alcohol X)
 skin – remove clothes if covered in pesticide , wash (running water, soap)
 eyes – wash (running water, 15 minutes +, chemicals x)
 touch pesticides XX (gloves )

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