Nurse offers tips for communicating with ventilated patients

The challenge of communicating with patients on ventilators became widespread during the pandemic. Mary Beth Happ, PhD, RN, distinguished professor of nursing at Ohio State University, provided tips for communication with these patients in a recent article in Medpage Today. Among her advice tips, use touch to get the patient’s attention; speak slowly; use short sentences and pause to let the patient respond; use gestures and picture boards; and be prepared to write key words and phrases for emphasis. According to a 2015 study Happ coauthored, more than 50% of ventilated intensive care unit patients are capable of communicating. (Medpage Today article, 9/20/20)