Telephone Communication in Healthcare Flashcards
7 cards from real CELBAN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Telephone Communication in Healthcare flashcards as text
A nurse receives a phone call from a physician requesting a patient update. Which opening response is most appropriate?
Answer: This is Nurse Patel on 4 West. How can I help you?
Identifying yourself with your name and unit establishes professionalism and helps the caller confirm they have reached the right person.
When leaving a voicemail for a physician about a deteriorating patient, a nurse should FIRST state:
Answer: The patient's full name, room number, and the reason for the call
Stating the patient's name, location, and reason for calling immediately gives the physician the key information needed to prioritize the callback.
A nurse uses the SBAR framework during a phone call. What does the 'A' stand for?
Answer: Assessment
In SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), 'A' stands for Assessment — the nurse's clinical interpretation of the patient's condition.
A caller asks for confidential patient information over the phone but cannot verify their identity. The nurse should:
Answer: Politely decline and ask them to call back through the hospital's verified line
Patient confidentiality requires verifying the caller's identity before disclosing any information, regardless of how professional they sound.
During a telephone handover, a nurse says 'I'll read that back to verify.' This technique is called:
Answer: Readback or repeat-back
Readback (or repeat-back) is the standard safety technique for confirming verbal orders or critical information received by telephone.
A nurse receives a telephone order for morphine 4 mg IV. Which response is safest?
Answer: Repeat back: 'Morphine four milligrams intravenous — is that correct?' then document it immediately.
Repeating back the order verbatim and documenting it immediately reduces the risk of error when accepting verbal telephone orders.
Which phrase best demonstrates professional telephone closing etiquette for a nurse?
Answer: 'Thank you for calling. I'll follow up with the team right away. Goodbye.'
A professional closing summarizes the next action, thanks the caller, and ends courteously, reinforcing accountability and communication clarity.