CASE STUDY:

A time in which a specific communication channel impacted me was when I received an email at my workplace. A coworker inquired about the lengthy amount of time it was taking for me to admit a patient, and she was curious to know if I would be able to help her with a few tasks before the end of our shift. The email itself was something along the lines of, "Hey, what's taking so long? I need help with XYZ!" This channel of email communication was chosen because the nurse was in another building (so face-to-face would have required leaving her station), and I was sitting with the patient so I could not speak on the phone about the presenting concerns I had. The way in which this coworker posed her question in the email came across as a bit frustrating and even a little demanding. I found myself feeling somewhat defensive upon first reading her questions, but then chose to simply respond with, "This patient is very complex, I'll be down to help when I can." When I was eventually able to complete the assessment with the patient, I made my way to that nurse's building. I felt somewhat wary because of the way her email was worded. I asked her what tasks she needed assistance with, and I was able to share with her the complexities of the patient for her to better understand "what took so long." I anticipated that she may be irritated or annoyed, but she was friendly and sympathetic about the patient's situation.

Email was probably the best channel for communication given the circumstances, because face-to-face or phone communications were not appropriate for the current situation as those would have compromised patient safety and dignity. However, this nurse and I were not particularly close, and her intention to sound friendly and playful over email came across as irritating because we did not have an established reputation (Emerald Works Limited, n.d. B). Without that reputation between us, the wording of the email should have perhaps been more formal - for example, "Do you have an estimated time that you might be available before the end of the shift? I have a couple of tasks I could use your help on!" Because email communication does not allow for nonverbal cues during a conversation, the sender's intentions can often be misinterpreted or misunderstood (Emerald Works Limited, n.d. A). While everything was fine between us, that conversation helped me to be mindful of how I communicated with others via email - especially those who I have not established a joking reputation with.

QUESTIONS:

• Respectfully pose one or two questions to your colleague about whether the choice of channel they described was effective and appropriate, which may provide them with further insight or opportunity for reflection.
• Provide one or two additional recommendations regarding channel choice and/or noise reduction that could be applied to the situation your colleague outlined.
• Share an insight you gained from your colleague's evaluation, including how you can put their recommendations into practice in the future.