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Visual Communication:
A Nursing Communication Mode Research Essay Teach Comment Draft
Gabby Sperber
Louisiana State University

Author Note
This paper is prepared for English 2001, taught by Professor Coco. The audience of this research
essay is first year nursing students.
Preface
I give my essay a 2 for focus. I think it is evident that Im talking about visual
communication but I think my message could be stronger and I should tie in my examples better
to the overall focus. For organization I would give my essay a 1.5. I think I need to create better
transitions and relate each example to the others so the essay will flow more smoothly. I also do
not have any subtitles right now that need to be added. I give my essay a 1.5 for development
because I think I need to give more facts and background information about each example of
visual communication. I think the essay is a 2 for audience. The tone and style are appropriate
but it could be improved.
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I think my third paragraph about pamphlets and brochures is the strongest so far because
the source provides very relevant information and statistics to work with. Three concerns I have
about my essay are that it is not developed enough, I dont use enough of my sources, and the
essay is not cohesive.

Visual Communication in Nursing

Importance of Communication in Nursing
When people think of training in the medical field, they probably imagine students

learning to use highly elaborate technology and extensive training on where every body part is

and how that part functions. While students in the medical field are required to learn all these

things, most people forget a crucial, yet overlooked skill: communication. In the career of

nursing, effective communication is essential for the well-being of all patients. One missed cue, a

confusing sentence on a chart, or a missed symptom could be the difference between life or death

in some situations. Among the multiple modes of communication in nursing, visual

communication plays a significant role in the day to day work of nurses. Visual communication

in the medical field is a universal mode of communication because it includes pictures, which is

essential when there is a language barrier for some patients. Visual communication is evident in

every medical setting and is essential to keep patients informed, and ultimately alive.
Modified Early Warning System
One example of visual communication in nursing is medical charts. Medical charts are a

critical way to document a patients symptoms and progress, and report them to the next person

caring for the patient. It is important for the information to be accurate for the next caretaker, or

terrible medical mistakes could be made. Since these charts are so crucial, many new versions

have been created to better the system. One new version that has had a positive outcome so far is

the Modified Early Warning System. Today in the United States, determining when a Rapid

Response Team is needed for a patient is a little blurry, and subjective to the nurse or doctor.

Response Teams are usually called when there is a dramatic change in the patients health or the

nurse has a feeling that something is wrong. Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (YGC), located in Rhyl,
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Denbighshire, in central North Wales, is a hospital that has developed a new technique known as

the Modified Early Warning System. This system is in chart form for nurses to evaluate the

patient and score the patient based on their vital signs. If any of the six vital signs falls into the

red zone, which signals the patient is at risk, the nurse is to score the patient in each category

and determine if the Response Team should be notified (Early Warning Systems: Scorecards

That Save Lives).

(Early Warning Systems:

Scorecards That Save Lives)

The use of charts as a visual source of

communication allows nurses to

communicate effectively and

decide the best form of treatment

for patients. It makes an ethical

and logical appeal to all people that use the chart such as doctors, nurses, and other professionals

since it is a requirement of the job and ultimately keeps patients alive and progressing.
Ultrasound Imaging
The medical field is continuously advancing with new technology and equipment to

better treatment and cure new illnesses. With all the new modern technology today, visual

communication has become quite advanced. Among these new resources, doctors have been able

to use ultrasounds as a new source for determining treatment and identifying problems before

symptoms occur. Ultrasounds use sound or other vibrations having an ultrasonic frequency to
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produce an image (Ultrasound Imaging). It has become a noninvasive technique used by

medical professionals with expecting mothers to see images of their babies to make sure

development is normal, or to determine treatment if something is irregular with the fetus.

Ultrasounds are an important form of visual communication for both doctors and patients

because prior to this form of imaging, outcomes of some pregnancies were unpredictable and

some ended in death which could have been prevented. Ultrasounds are also now widely used in

many scenarios that do not include pregnancy. The ability to see images of the inside of the body

without having to perform surgery has been a huge breakthrough for the medical field (Prager).

This also allows for easier communication with the patient, so they are able to get a better idea of

what is wrong through images since medical terms can be complicated to understand. However,

there can also be pitfalls with this form of visual communication. Along with medical charts,

ultrasound imaging can also be misread and critical symptoms could be missed. In spite of this

inevitable medical pitfall, this advanced form of visual imaging improves the chances immensely

of getting a correct diagnosis and treatment prior to any life threatening symptoms.
Medical Communication to the Public
Medical terms can often be confusing and difficult to understand for most patients, which

is why visual communication plays a huge role in communicating with others. Visual

communication can not only help determine treatment for patients, but also prevent illness from

occurring in the first place. The medical field has developed many visuals to educate the public

such as pamphlets and brochures on almost every medical topic. These resources can be found in

almost every doctors office, hospitals, schools, and many more accessible places. The medical

field feels it not only has a duty to treat ill patients, but also provide the best resources possible

for people to educate themselves (Sand-Jecklin 120). Medical pamphlets are a great way to

reach out the public because many educate through pictures which can be understood by people
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from all backgrounds. This ideal of making medical information understandable for all falls in

line with the goals of the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations which requires that patients

be taught in a manner that is consistent with their learning abilities and writing styles, and that

the information must be presented in a way that is understandable (Sand-Jecklin 121). The

medical field recognizes that not all Americans have the same education level. In fact, the most

recent study of adult literacy proved that about 14% of Americans had a below basic reading

level. This averages to about 34 million Americans not able to comprehend even the most basic

instructions in medical pamphlets and brochures (Sand-Jecklin 121). Modern medical pamphlets

and brochures can be set apart from other forms of visual communication in the medical field

because the pictures can be understood by nearly anyone. The audience of these educational

pamphlets reaches beyond medical professionals and educated Americans, they can be

understood by children and even people that dont speak the native language. This form of visual

communication is unique because it allows medical professionals to educate far beyond the

hospital doors to the masses of American and foreign people of all ages.
Conclusion
All forms of communication are vital in the medical field, and each mode plays a key role

in keeping hospitals functioning and patients alive. Visual communication is especially important

because it not only allows for easier communication with other doctors and nurses, but also the

public. Without medical charts, such as the Modified Early Warning System, and ultrasounds,

diagnosing patients and explaining treatment would be complicated to say the least. Also,

without pamphlets and brochures, informing the masses of people would be nearly impossible.

These advanced visuals allow medical professionals to be proactive and give each patient the

best shot at life and help them heal, which is the ultimate goal of every healthcare professional.
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References

Early Warning Systems: Scorecards That Save Lives. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from

http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/ImprovementStories/EarlyWarningSystemsScorecard

sThatSaveLives.aspx

Prager, R., McCallum, J., Kim, D., & Neitzel, A. (2016). Point of care ultrasound in

undergraduate medical education: A survey of University of British Columbia medical

student attitudes. UBC Medical Journal, 7(2), 12-16.

Sand-Jecklin, K. (2007). The Impact of Medical Terminology on Readability of Patient

Education Materials. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 24(2), 119-129. Retrieved

from http://www.jstor.org.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/stable/20789011

Ultrasound Imaging. (2016). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 1p. 1.