Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION 1

Visual Communication:
A Nursing Communication Mode Research Essay
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.
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.
In the teacher comment draft, I found that all of the comments were very helpful. I
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realized which paragraphs of the essay needed more work and that I needed to add a section for
the common pitfalls of visual communication. The comments on my pamphlet/brochure section
also helped because I realized I needed to pick one specific example to analyze instead of trying
to explain such a general topic. I did not find any of the comments to be confusing or unhelpful.
Some revisions I question is whether or not the details I added were helpful to the essay or just
made the essay too wordy. Also, I question whether the brochure example and pitfall section
were effective.

Visual Communication in Nursing

Abstract
This paper explores the importance of visual communication in the field of nursing.

Examples such as ultrasounds, charts, pamphlets, and brochures are used to show the significant

role visual images can play in hospitals and other healthcare settings. This paper examines new

versions of charts such as the Modified Early Warning System and the progress the healthcare

field has made to keep up with the modernization of medicine. This paper also examines the role

educational pamphlets and brochures play in educating the masses to prevent health issues

without having to see a doctor.

Keywords: visual communication, nursing, prevention, diagnosis

Visual Communication in Nursing

Analysis
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
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every medical setting and is crucial 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. It was found that not all at-risk patients were

being identified and nurses didnt have a complete set of criteria to identify a failing patient early

and trigger a call to the team. Therefore, it was established that some clear would be needed to

prompt the nurses to make the call and take action to address the patients needs (Early Warning

Systems: Scorecards That Save Lives). Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (YGC), located in Rhyl,

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).

Ysbyty Glan Clwyds Modified Early Warning System Chart
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(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. 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

produce an image. 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 (Prager, McCallum, Kim, & Neitzel,

2016). 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 even 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
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the body without having to perform surgery has been a huge breakthrough for the medical field

(Prager et al., 2016). 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. Ultrasounds are a significant example of how visual communication in the medical

field is universal, allows doctors to be proactive for patients, and ultimately is powerful enough

to save lives.
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

places such as doctors offices, 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, 2007). Medical pamphlets are a great way to

reach out the public because many educate through pictures which can be understood by people

from all backgrounds.

American Heart Associations Quit Smoking Brochure

This

example of a

medical pamphlet

was created
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by the American Heart Association to inform and warn the public about the dangers and effects

of smoking. It uses language that is easy to understand, as well as pictures to break through any

language barriers. The pamphlet also touches on many subjects such as secondhand smoke,

cancer risks, lung damage, and heart disease that can result from smoking. This idea of making

medical information understandable for all people 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, 2007). 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, 2007). However, 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 despite their literacy ability. Simple brochures and pamphlets, such

as this one which explains the dangers of smoking, could potentially save the lives of those who

would not know any better if they had not seen this information in public places. 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 citizens of all ages.

Pitfalls in Visual Communication
Despite its usefulness, there can also be pitfalls involved with using visual

communication. All of these examples are ultimately controlled by humans, which means that it

is always possible for mistakes to be made. Nurses and doctors are constantly filling out charts
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and paperwork throughout the day. If they fail to document something or document wrong

information on someones chart, such as their Modified Early Warning System chart, it could

lead to injurious effects for not only the patient but the hospital as well. This miscommunication

could lead to major lawsuits against the hospital and ultimately damage its reputation for future

patients for years to come. Along with medical charts, ultrasound imaging can also be misread.

Critical symptoms, parts of an image, or unexamined areas could be missed by the doctor or

nurse observing it. This human mistake could also lead to endangering the patient and more

lawsuits. Although brochures and pamphlets are not as hands on as medical charts and

ultrasounds, there are still some pitfalls that could be attributed to this form of visual

communication as well. The main objective of these brochures is to accurately inform the public.

Therefore, if any information in these booklets is incorrect, it could lead to masses of people

being misinformed on extremely important topics regarding their health. Also, if the pictures in

the brochures are difficult to interpret, people that cannot read or do not speak the native

language will be uninformed as well. In spite of these potential pitfalls of visual communication,

medical professionals work tirelessly to prevent and correct these mistakes before there is any

harm to patients or citizens. Also, the benefits of these new types of communication and

technology has far outweighed the pitfalls thus far in the medical field.
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

general 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
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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.
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.

Quit Smoking Brochure. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/ToolsForYourHeartHealth/Quit-

Smoking-for-Good-Brochure_UCM_310564_Article.jsp#.WQFJ1YjyvIU

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