Name: ____________________________
Date: _________________ Score: _____
You completed Mrs. Gable's vitals. Her temperature is normal (98.6°F), her blood pressure is high (142/90 mmHg), and she is grimacing (making a pained face) and rubbing her left hip. She states, "The pain is sharp and burning." You need to report this to Nurse Clara.
Identify the objective and subjective data from the scenario:
Objective Data (What you measured/saw):
1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
Subjective Data (What Mrs. Gable said):
1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
Using the scenario above, complete this reporting script. Use the sentence frames from your presentation slides.
1. Greet the Nurse & State Purpose:
"Excuse me, Nurse Clara. I need to report an observation regarding ____________________ in Room ____."
2. Report the Objective Observations:
"Her blood pressure is ____________. I also observed her grimacing and _____________________________."
3. Report the Subjective Complaints:
"She states that her hip pain is a ____ out of 10, and describes the pain as ____________________."
4. Suggest Action / Next Steps:
"I have settled her comfortably. Would you like me to check on her again in ____ minutes, or will you go in now?"
I knocked on the resident's door first.
I introduced myself and my role.
I explained the procedure clearly.
I maintained respectful eye level.
I used exact objective numbers (vitals).
I asked the nurse for clear guidance.
Care Talk Academy • Vocational English Series Page 2 of 2
Aphasia is a language impairment usually caused by a stroke. It makes speaking or understanding words difficult.
Helpful Aids:
Expressive aphasia does not mean the resident cannot think clearly. Slide 5
CARE TALK ACADEMY
How would you fix these unprofessional patterns?
Unprofessional / Confusing:
"Hey honey, go ahead and eat your breakfast, the food's over there." (To a blind resident)
Professional Care Talk:
"Good morning, Mrs. Gable. I have placed your breakfast tray straight ahead of you. Your scrambled eggs are at 6 o'clock."
Unprofessional / Confusing:
"WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME ABOUT THE BUS? THERE IS NO BUS! BE QUIET!" (To a resident with dementia)
Professional Care Talk:
"I understand you are looking for the bus, Mr. Smith. It must be scary to wait. Let's sit over here and have a warm cup of tea together."
Validation and clear structural adjustments protect resident dignity. Slide 6
Mr. Frank is crying in the hallway. He has Alzheimer's disease and is holding a small suitcase. He states, "I need to go home. My wife is waiting for me to walk the dog." His wife actually passed away five years ago, and he has lived in this facility for three years.
Complete this dialogue utilizing Validation Therapy sentence frames. Do not correct him or argue.
Resident Mr. Frank: (Crying, holds bag) "Let me out! I have to go walk the dog. My wife is angry at me."
Nurse Aide (Validate Feelings): "Mr. Frank, I understand you want to go home, and you are worried about your ____________________. You must love your wife very much."
• Explanation: By saying this, you acknowledge his feelings without lying or telling him his wife is dead, which would cause severe grief.
Resident Mr. Frank: "Yes, I walk him every single day. He is a golden retriever."
Nurse Aide (Redirect / Change Topic): "A golden retriever sounds beautiful. Tell me more, what is his ____________________? While you tell me, let's walk down to the ____________________ to have a warm cup of coffee together."
Resident Mr. Frank: "His name is Buster... and yes, coffee sounds very nice."
Practice the Mr. Frank role-play with a classmate. Your classmate should check off each successful communication technique:
| Communication Skill | Achieved? | Observation Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eye Level Positioning | ______ | ________________________ |
| Gentle, Low Voice Pitch | ______ | ________________________ |
| Validated Feelings (No arguing) | ______ | ________________________ |
| Gentle Redirection/Coffee Offer | ______ | ________________________ |
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CARE TALK ACADEMY
HIPAA is the federal law that protects a resident's Protected Health Information (PHI).
Examples of PHI:
HIPAA Violations:
Safe Clinical Practice:
"Only share medical info with nursing staff directly assigned to that resident's care."
Keeping secrets is a legal duty. Protect resident privacy at all times. Slide 5
CARE TALK ACADEMY
How do you handle a visitor asking about a resident's condition?
The Situation:
Mr. Chen's daughter arrives at the nurse's station. She asks you, "Did my father have a stroke? Why is he in bed?"
The Correct Professional Frame:
"I want to make sure you get the most accurate medical update. I am not legally permitted to share medical details, but let me call Nurse Clara. She is his assigned nurse and will speak with you immediately."
Aides do not give diagnoses. Redirect clinical family questions directly to the RN. Slide 6
Your Reply (Refusal Frame): "Nurse Clara, I would love to help you, but _____________________________________ is outside my scope of practice as a nurse aide. I am not legally ____________________ to administer medication."
Offer alternative help: "Is there another task I can do? I can take his ____________________, or help him with his bed positions while you give the pill."
Scenario B: Untrained Mechanical Lift
LPN David asks you to help transfer Mrs. Watson using a sit-to-stand Hoyer mechanical lift. You have never been trained on this specific model of machine.
LPN David: "Let's hurry up and get Mrs. Watson moved before lunch."
Your Reply (Training Refusal Frame): "LPN David, I want to keep Mrs. Watson safe, but I have not been ____________________ on this specific mechanical lift model. Can you supervise me while I do it, or should I help transfer another resident?"
Review your task refusal language. Mark off which phrases sound professional, neutral, and polite:
Professional Phrases
Unprofessional Phrases
Care Talk Academy • Vocational English Series Page 2 of 2
When a resident offers you a cash tip, you must decline politely:
"That is so kind of you, Mr. Smith, but facility policy does not permit me to accept cash tips. Seeing you smile is the best gift I can receive!"
Professional distance preserves a safe, objective care environment. Slide 4
CARE TALK ACADEMY
As a certified nurse aide, you are a Mandatory Reporter. This means you are legally required to report any suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation immediately to your supervising nurse.
Even if you did not witness it directly, any suspicious signs (such as unexplained bruising, behavioral changes, or severe diaper rash) must be reported at once. Failure to report is a severe legal offense.
Immediate reporting: Prevents further harm and initiates an institutional inquiry.
Documentation duty: Write detailed, neutral factual notes about what you observed.
If you see abuse and say nothing, you share the legal liability. Slide 5
CARE TALK ACADEMY
Use this professional reporting template to notify your supervising nurse of safety issues:
Step 1: Request Private Consultation
"Nurse Clara, I need to discuss a confidential resident safety matter in private. Can we speak in the office?"
Step 2: Report Specific Signs Neutrally
"I noticed that [Resident Name] in Room [Room #] has [unexplained bruising/neglected hygiene]. This was not present yesterday."
Step 3: State Your Professional Duty
"I wanted to report this immediately to ensure their safety and fulfill my duty as a mandatory reporter. What further actions or paperwork should I complete?"
Using direct, legal phrasing confirms your knowledge of the law. Slide 6
Complete this reporting dialogue to Charge Nurse Clara, using formal, legal reporting phrases.
Nurse Aide: "Excuse me, Nurse Clara. Do you have a moment? I need to report a confidential ____________________ resident safety matter in ____________________."
Nurse Clara: "Yes, come into the breakroom. What is going on?"
Nurse Aide (Identify facts): "I observed that Mr. David in Room ________ has multiple dark purple ____________________ on both upper arms. When I touched them, he said: '________________________________________'."
Nurse Clara: "Oh, that is very concerning. I will check him immediately."
Nurse Aide (State Legal Duty): "Yes, I wanted to report this immediately to ensure his safety and fulfill my duty as a ________________________________________. I will write down these facts in my shift report as well."
Scenario: Mr. Davis is very grateful for your wonderful care. He pulls out a $100 bill and says, "Please take this. You work so hard and you deserve it. Do not tell the manager!"
Write your professional refusal dialogue reply using professional boundaries language:
"Mr. Davis, thank you so much for your incredible kindness. However, I cannot __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"
Care Talk Academy • Vocational English Series Page 2 of 2
