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 patient's family member calls the unit demanding to know the patient's diagnosis. The nurse should:
Answer: Ask if the patient has given consent for information to be shared with them before disclosing anything
Confirming whether the patient has authorized information sharing protects patient privacy and complies with Canadian health privacy legislation.
When calling a pharmacy to clarify a prescription, a nurse should provide all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: The nurse's personal home phone number
A nurse's personal home phone number is not relevant or appropriate to share; professional contact through the hospital system is required.
A physician gives a verbal order over the phone that the nurse believes may be a dangerous dose. The nurse should:
Answer: Question the order respectfully, stating the concern, and request clarification before proceeding
Nurses have a professional and ethical duty to advocate for patient safety by questioning orders that appear unsafe before they are carried out.
Which SBAR element should a nurse deliver LAST during a telephone consultation?
Answer: Recommendation
In SBAR, 'Recommendation' comes last and represents the nurse's specific request or suggested action for the patient.
A nurse is calling a lab to follow up on urgent bloodwork. The most effective opening is:
Answer: 'This is Nurse Torres from 3 South. I'm following up on urgent CBC results for patient John Smith, DOB March 12, 1958.'
Identifying yourself, your unit, and the specific patient with identifiers helps the lab locate the correct results quickly and accurately.
When putting a caller on hold during an urgent call, a nurse should:
Answer: Ask permission to place them on hold, give an estimated wait time, and return promptly
Asking permission before placing someone on hold and communicating an expected wait time demonstrates professionalism and respects the caller's time.
A nurse receives a call about a patient who has been transferred to another unit. The correct response is:
Answer: Provide the caller with the name of the new unit and offer to transfer the call there
Directing the caller to the correct unit and offering to transfer the call ensures continuity of communication without violating privacy beyond what is appropriate.