Chapter 5 EMS communications

When transmitting data over the radio, you should NOT disclose the patient's:

HIV status

an elderly man states that he is sad and depressed because his wife recently died of cancer which of the following statements from the paramedic demonstrates empathy

I'm sorry sir I don't know how I would feel in your situation but I am sure it would be similar

which of the following statements is an example of providing false reassurance

Im sure that you will be fine but let us take you to the hospital just to be on the safe side

Using the NATO phonetic alphabet, how should you spell Dr. "Wilson"?

WHISKY-INDIA-IIMA-SIERRA-OSCAR-NOVEMBER

Notification of EMS usually occurs when:

a bystander notifies the dispatcher via telephone

Repeating the key parts of a patient's responses to your questions demonstrates:

active listening

if a patient asks for your advise regarding a treatment decision that his or her physician made you should

advise the patient to consult with his or her physician

when attempting to interview a patient with a behavioral crisis you should

approach the patient cautiously while maintaining eye contact

Low-band frequencies:

are unpredictable because changes in ionospheric conditions may cause losses in communication.

Many ___ believe that touching the head may put their soul in jeopardy.

asians

After asking a patient a question about how he is feeling today, you sense that he is having difficulty putting his feelings into words. You should:

be patient and give the patient time to express his feelings

which of the following questions is the MOST effective when insuring about a patients chest pain

can you describe the pain to me

if a patient is reluctant to communicate because he or she felt threatened, the paramedic should

cautiously approach the patient and use open posturing

which of the following statement regarding the use of cellular telephones and landlines telephones is MOST correct

cellular and landline telephones overcome problems caused by overcrowded EMS radio frequencies

the FIRST principle of communicating by radio is

clarity

if a patient insists on monitoring your conversation with his or her adolescent son or daughter you should

communicate the situation to the emergency department physician and document it accurately

at minimum sending the 12 lead ECG of a patient with chest pain to the emergency department physician via telemetry would

decrease the time of the diagnosis to treatment

which if the following questions would be appropriate to ask a patient who has no medical training

do you have any breathing or heart problems

which of the following is NOT an example of an open ended question

does the pain radiate to your arm or jaw

the purpose of a closed-ended question is to

elicit a specific response from the patient

When the paramedic encounters a patient who has difficulty communicating, he or she should:

enlist the help of a family member or primary caregiver

During the course of your interview, your patient begins making sexual innuendos to you. You should:

ensure that another paramedic or EMT is present at all times

Maintaining eye contact with a patient enables the paramedic to:

evaluate the patients neuralgic status

interpersonal communication is MOST accurately defined as the

exchange of information between two or more persons

Statements such as, "Please say more," or, "Please feel welcome to tell me about that," are examples of:

facilitation

If the EMD suspects that your patient has a life-threatening emergency, the EMD should make you aware of the situation and then:

give pre arrival instructions to the caller

If a patient provides an inappropriate response to a paramedic's question, it should be assumed that the patient:

has impaired cerebral function

If the wife of a critically ill man asks you if her husband is going to die, the MOST appropriate response should be?

he is very sick but we are doing everything we can to help him

When a panicked person calls 9-1-1 for help:

he or she needs immediate confirmation of having reached the right number.

the term "frequency" as it applies to radio communications is MOST accurately defined as

how frequently a radio waverers in a given time

When relaying medical information to a physician in person, you should:

include information that you did not provide during your radio report

cellular telephones are more advanced than regular two way radios in that cellular telephones

incorporate GPS technology to help rescuers find the patient

touching a conscious elderly patient in a nursing home without his or her permission?

is nonverbally communicating "you are not important enough or mentally competent enough to be asked for permission"

The use of ten codes over the radio

is not recommended by the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

all of the following are external factors that can affect communications with a patient EXCEPT

lack of empathy

Before you begin to transmit over the radio, you should check the volume and then:

listen to make sure that the channel is clear of traffic

If you want reliable answers to personal questions, you should?

manage the scene so you can ask the questions quietly and privately

a backup communication system is especially critical when dealing with

mass-casualty incidents

which of the following statements regarding 12 lead ECG telemetry is correct

most newer systems use facsimile technology to allow transmission of 12 lead ECGs

When functioning at a noisy scene, communication will be MOST effective if you?

move the patient to the ambulance as soon as you can

In order for the paramedic to talk and transmit an ECG simultaneously on one frequency, a ___ system is required.

multiplex

the combination of two or more signals which allows the paramedic to talk and transmit an ECG simultaneously on one frequency is called a

multiplex system

when transmitting you radio report to the hospital you should

not be sitting right next to the patient

Radio transmission distances from a mobile transceiver are reduced:

over mountainous areas

under the instructions of a good EMD a layperson should be able to

perform chest compressions

If a patient mentions something in passing or avoids answering a specific question, you should:

politely redirect his or her attention to that question

If a patient avoids answering a specific question, you should?

redirect him or her to the question to elicit a response

a patient states "I can't catch my breath" and the paramedic responds "you say you can't catch your breath, ma'am?" this is an example of

reflection

a _________ receives a weak signal and retransmits it at a higher power on another frequency

repeater

a(n)________ receives a week signal and retransmits it at a higher power on another frequency

repeater

If a patient provides a confusing or disorganized response to your question, you should:

rephrase the patients comments with simpler terms and ask if he or she agrees with your synopsis

If the paramedic is unable to defuse a hostile patient's anger, the paramedic should:

request law enforcement assistance if needed

all of the following factors may cause distortion of an ECG signal EXCEPT

severe tachycardia

when communicating medical information via radio you should be

simple, brief, and direct

which of the following actions demonstrates that the paramedic has his or her emotions under control

speaking close to the patients ear in a calm voice in an extremely noisy situation

Biotelemetry is MOST accurately defined as:

the capability of measuring vital signs and ECG tracings and transmitting them to a distant terminal

which of the following patient data is NOT typically communicated during your radio report to the hospital

the patents ethnicity

it is important to remember that if a patient is not personally sensitive to modesty because of Impaired mental status

the patients family likely will be

which of the following details is of LEAST importance for the EMD to obtain from the caller

the patients last known oral intake

What hand gesture is interpreted by many Arabic and some Latin American cultures as the equivalent of an extended middle finger?

the thumbs up sign

when communicating with older patients it is MOST important to remember that

their illness may be more complex because they have more than one disease process and may be taking several medications concurrently

Conveying calm, unmistakable, genuine concern for someone you've never met before is the most essential challenge as a/an?

therapeutic communicator

which of the following statement regarding ten codes is correct

they should be avoided during a mass-casualty situation

When touching a patient as a form of reassurance, the paramedic should?

touch the patient on a neutral part of his or her body

Islamic and Hindu cultures avoid

touching with the left hand.

a base station decoder within the emergency department

translates a telemetry signal into an oscilloscope tracing

when communicating with a patient whose culture background differs from the paramedics it is MOST important for the paramedic to

treat the patient with the utmost respect at all times

the ability of multiple agencies or systems to share the sane radio frequency is called

trunking

Eye-to-eye contact with a patient reinforces:

trust and honesty

When transmitting information via radio, you should:

use a normal conversation tone of voice

which of the following questions would MOST likely reveal a hidden medical condition when communicating with a patient who has severe headache

what happened the last time you felt this way

Stereotyping an elderly, very young, or hostile patient during your attempt to communicate with him or her:

works against effective communications

which of the following words would be the MOST difficult to hear over the radio

yes

it would be MOST appropriate to ask a patient a close ended question when

you are trying to obtain medical information

when a patent repeatedly apologizes to you because he or she is incontinent you should say

you don't have to apologize that's what we're here for

if a patient is unable to tell you who he or she is where he or she is and what day of the week it is

you should suspect decreased blood flow to the brain

When a patient thanks you, your MOST appropriate response should be:

you're welcome

when providing patient care it is MOST important that you maintain effective communication with

your partner