POLITE REQUESTS AND REFUSALS (PART 1)

MEDICAL ENGLISH SKILLS

POLITE REQUESTS AND
REFUSALS (PART 1)


Doctor and nurses are constantly telling their patients what they want to do. Patients are sick people and are often nervous, depressed, frightened and homesick as well, so the way you speak to your patient is of supreme importance in establishing a good doctor/patient, nurse/patient relationship. The tone of the voice, the stress and intonation all take time learn but actual words can be learnt before you come to hospital.
Consider a doctor or nurse who wishes to remove his clothes. The easiest order of all is simply to say, “Undress”. Much more usual is. “ Take your clothes off”. It is common courtesy, however to add Please at the beginning or end of the sentence.
Example:
Take your clothes off, please
Walk across the room, please
Please turn on to your left side
Please draw up your knees

When discussing the more intimate part of the body or the most personal side of a patient’s life, we often use longer, less abrupt phrases in order to try to put the patient at ease.
Try to master these sentences:
Would you mind slipping off your clothes?
Would you mind bringing me a sample of your urine?
Would you mind giving me some detail of your marital life?
Would you mind my bringing a few students to see you? (This is usually in a teaching hospital)

Would you mind + gerund is a very polite request and could upset no one. Remember, however, that the affirmative answer is: Not at all or of course not.

The negative replies are: I’m afraid I can’t; I’m sorry but….etc
Example:
Nurses to Sister : Would you mind my changing my duty tomorrow?
Sister : I’m afraid you can’t, I need you here

Nurses dealing with sick patients often make suggestions to them rather than giving orders:
Example:
Would like you to move down the bed a little?
Would like you to backrest out?
Would like you to sit in a chair
Would like you a shave?
Would like you hair washing?

We wishes our patient will be much more co-operative with this kind of approach. Try to use these sentences in our hospital and good luck Indonesian nurses in Kuwait. See you in the next English club.
Reference: Medical English skills for doctor and nurses by Joy Parkinson
Key word
Frightened : Ketakutan
Take clothes off : Menanggalkan pakaian
Abrupt : Kasar
Backrest : Penopang punggung atau sandaran