How is communicating with a patient different from communicating with your nurse?

Your patient and your nurse will have different levels of understanding when it comes to dental terms. These are the key differences you need to keep in mind when you speak to your nurse vs your patient.

Nurse:

• The aim of communication with your nurse is to aid in dental procedures
• Can use technical, dental jargon
• Professional and respectful tone
• Can be informal with your nurse, but always respectful and professional
• Non-verbal communication- eg dentist can indicate when they want a hand mirror from the nurse

Patient:

• The aim of communication with your patient is to educate them about their oral health
• Cannot use technical, dental jargon
• Empathetic and/or sympathetic tone
• Always have to respect patient boundaries and be professional
• Non-verbal communication- eg use hand gestures to explain disease

You want to recognise how important it is to adapt your communication style depending on who you are interacting with.