Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 1

Visual Communication Mode in Nursing

A Researched Report on a Communication Mode in Nursing Teacher Comment Draft

Madison Vernaci

Louisiana State University

Author Note

This essay is for English 2001, taught by Professor Coco. The audience is first year nursing

students who must adapt to communication modes.

Abstract
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 2

This purpose of this paper is to explain to nursing students the meaning and importance

of visual communication modes in nursing. Nursing students are put through training called

Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS), which helps them gain the skills of thinking, observing, and

communicating, so that they will be able to effectively communicate with and adapt to their

patients situations. An overview of visual communication examples and pitfalls are discussed, so

that the students will be able to be informed on how each type of visual communication has

certain purposes and effects on patients. Three examples of visuals, such as, a metabolic, calorie,

and exercise chart, an illustration of tobacco dangers, and a labeled ultrasound and photograph,

are explored in great detail to give the students a better understanding of this mode.

Preface
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 3

The focus is a 2 because I do not stay on topic, and I repeat and elaborate too much. I am
having trouble explaining how the example correlates to the mode. The organization is a 1
because the essay does not flow. The transitions are not strong, and I am not sure what the
correct format for this essay should look like. The development is a 2 because I have good
descriptions for my examples, but I am having trouble tying it all together. The AAV is a 1
because my tone in the introduction paragraph does not flow; it is kind of scattered.

I do not know if I should be talking about nursing students learning about visual
communication or describing visual communication in the nursing field. I think that my second
paragraph, which explains my first example is strong because it is a good example for visual
mode. It was easy and clear to write about. I am concerned with my sources because I could not
find any from LSU library. I am concerned about my introduction paragraph because I cannot
find reasonable and helpful sources that provide evidence for what I am trying to tell my
audience. I am concerned about how to make an intro and concluding sentence for each
paragraph.

After looking at my group members papers, and getting feedback on mine, the peer
review gave me a better understanding of what the project should look like and compose of. My
peers told me that I needed to focus more by eliminating the descriptions of every visual. I also
needed to use my sources more. I still am not sure if I should be citing things in my body
paragraphs that explain my examples. I feel that the peer review helped me get on track, but it
still needs improvement. I tried strengthening my examples, but I need more help with showing
why they are important in the visual communication mode, with sources, and with the
introduction.

The comments I received from the teacher comment draft were simple and easy to
change. The comments that confused me were the comments about my citing. I tried to copy and
paste the calorie pdf as a picture onto Appendix A instead of providing a link because I do not
know what a hotlink is. When I click on the link I provided, it brings me to the pdf, so I am
confused on why I should change that. In one of my sources on the reference page, you asked
which newspaper, but I thought it was Hearst Newspaper. Overall, the comments were helpful in
helping me develop my paper, but I am confused about the APA formatting, visuals, and citing
still. I tried to follow the guidelines to the best of my ability. Your comments on breaking up
paragraphs for organization were helpful.

Visual Communication Mode in Nursing

Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 4

Introduction and Overview of Genres

In the nursing field nurses must adapt to all of their patients needs through

communication. Nursing students are educated on all types of communication mode through a

method called Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS), which trains them to have skills in critical

thinking, observation, and communication. One of the components of VTS is that the student

will learn how to find meaning in visuals (Moorman, 2015). This will help them in the future to

visually communicate with their patients by observing the patients actions so that they can make

a diagnosis (Moorman, 2015). Nurses must to be able to visually communicate with their patients

and the rest of the hospital staff. Some genres of visual communication used in the medical field

are colorful models, diagrams, illustrations, pictures, or x-rays to help patients understand health

conditions or instructions given by the nurse. It is very important for a nurse to have skills in

visual communication because all patients are different. Some patients could be deaf, unable to

speak English, or unable to read, so visual communication would be the only way for a nurse to

talk and in form these patients. Visual communication is also very beneficial for any patient

because visuals make the whole appointment efficient and understandable. It is always helpful

for a nurse to use visual aids because it will calm the stressed, ill patient if they can easily

understand their condition and any information (Gopal, 2014). For example, a nurse can use

these genres to explain to the patient the procedure the doctor will be performing in the operating

room. Also, when a patient is getting tests run, visual communication comes in handy when

giving a patient good or bad news. They are able to look at X-rays and ultrasounds too see what

their actual disease or injury looks like, which is more understandable than delivering news

through phone calls. Visual aids can also be printed and handed out to patients, so they can refer

to it at any time. Visual aids can be used to help staff members communicate with each other, and
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 5

they can be used in a staff meeting. The examples used in this report are charts, posters, and

diagrams that further explain how visual communication can be used in the nursing field.

Visual Communication Examples

This visual communication mode is a pdf that is in the form of a poster (see Appendix A

for visual), which shows the number of calories a person should consume each day based on

gender, physical activity, and age. The genre of the text is a poster with animations and a chart.

The source is the Health and Human Services (HHS)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We Can! Ways to Enhance Childrens Activity & Nutrition

is the logo on the top of the pdf, which is a registered trademark of the Department of Health and

Human Services. The audience is primarily for parents trying to make their families healthier,

but it can also be for patients of all ages with eating disorders and weight problems. After

looking at the animations of the children, the audience will be aware of the balance between

physical activity and eating, and the chart informs them on actual statistics. The animation at the

top of the poster is of a boy sitting down, videoing another boy on a tricycle juggling apples.

There is also a girl laying down, eating an apple and watching this video. This first animation

introduces the theme of the poster for the audience because it shows all of the different healthy or

nonhealthy choices a person can make. The audience should take note and realize that the girl

eating a low-calorie apple does not have to exercise as much. At the bottom of the page there is

an animated picture chart that is organized with animations of children who are not active,

somewhat active, and very active to show the three stages of activeness. The chart inclines and

gets darker as the activeness levels increase. The animations on the poster are helpful to young

children who cannot read yet or deaf parents and children because of its colorful and logical

organization. Although the chart on the back is a type of written communication, it could also be
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 6

seen as visual for parents who want the real statistics. This text could be hung as a poster in a

pediatrician or nutritionists office with the purpose of visually communicating to their patients

the appropriate calorie intake per day based on age and physical activity. It is showing the

patients the appropriate amount of exercise and food they should be contributing to their bodies

each day to stay healthy for their ages. The message of this text is informing patients not to over

or under eat and informing them of what number of calories is healthiest for their age and

activeness. The message of the poster is totally understandable by just looking at the animations.

Also, from looking at the animations and chart, it is obvious that the more active you are, the

more calories you can eat. It is simple, blunt, and colorful, but also encouraging for the audience

to get healthy. It has a logical appeal because the viewer will choose the level of activeness that

best suits them by looking at the animations of the three levels of activeness. Then, they will take

their age and level of activeness they identified themselves as, and look at the calorie chart. It

also has an ethical appeal because the chart is reliable and correct being that is it a source from

the DHHS.

This example of visual communication is an illustration, which visually shows the

dangerous physical and internal effects of tobacco (see Appendix B for the visual on the dangers

of tobacco). The medium of this text is in print, and the genre is a photograph. It could be hung

up as a poster in a doctors office or in the nurses office of a school. It could also be used as a

flyer to warn the public, especially teens, about the dangers of smoking. Posters and flyers are

helpful modes of visual communication in the hospital setting because they are available to

anyone, and they allow nurses and doctors to communicate and inform the general public. The

intended audience for this poster is teens and young adults. This poster is directed at children of

this age because it is common for children try new things and give into peer pressure during their
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 7

teenage years. Teens know that tobacco is harmful and wrong, but they probably do not know or

believe that it will actually kill and alter their appearance. The text is arranged in a way that to

warn and scare teenagers to refrain from smoking tobacco. The center of the poster is a clothed,

normal teenage girl holding a cigarette, but it transforms her skin, eyes, and organs to show the

parts of the body that will be harmed by smoking tobacco. There are also captions explaining

each damaged body part. The arrangement of the poster is very useful for health workers to

communicate to young, healthy, and energetic teenagers by informing and warning them that if

they smoke tobacco, they will be ugly, ill, addicted, and it could change their lives. This text has

social and cultural influences on the audience because it shows how run down, sick, and ugly the

girl is, and in todays society everyone is worried about how they look. The author tried to make

the girl look as terrible as possible, so the audience will stay away from tobacco so that they will

not look like her. This shows the logical appeal of the poster. Also, if a patient could not

understand English or hear, they will know the purpose of the poster just by looking at the

pictures of the damaged skin, diseases on the organs, rotting teeth, and addiction of the brain. on

the girls body. The style of this visual mode is straightforward and informative. The tone is

serious, unpleasant, and surprising. When one looks at this poster they may want to look away

because of the girls gross appearance. Because smoking tobacco seems to be so common and no

big deal, the audience may be surprised when looking at this poster because it shows the actual

life threatening effects of smoking tobacco.

This example of visual communication is another poster of the diagram of a fetal

ultrasound and an example of a photograph of an ultrasound (see Appendix C for labeled

illustration and photograph of an ultrasound). The purpose of this diagram is to show the mother

the layout and parts of her body during pregnancy and the ultrasound. There is an actual
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 8

photographed example on the poster, which shows the actual fetal ultrasound image of her

ultrasound that the mother will receive. It is labeled and shows the medical/technical components

that are on ultrasound images, such as the name, measurements, and date. The intended audience

for this visual mode are pregnant females, and it could also be for the father of the unborn child.

This mode could be used as poster hung up in the waiting room or in the OBGYNs office. The

purpose of this is to show the parents how to read ultrasounds, and it shows them an example of

a healthy image. This is helpful for the nurse to communicate with the parents if their baby has

medical issues because they can see and understand the conditions of their babys picture next to

a healthy babys. Fetal ultrasounds are a helpful mode of visual communication because if a

patient cannot hear or speak, they will be able to know if their unborn child is a female or male,

if the unborn child has any health conditions, and the number of children the mother will have. It

also is a document to show the fetus progression over the course of the pregnancy. The style of

this visual mode is informative and ethical because it shows a real image of a fetal ultrasound.

Common Pitfalls and Potential Problems

Although there are many advantages in the use of visual communication, there are some

common pitfalls. Visual aids will be useless if its organization does not suit its audience. Some

patients may not be able to understand visuals if they are not designed properly. Some visual aids

can be unethical and incorrect, so the hospital must be aware of this (Rojas, 2017). Another

disadvantage is that people have different perspectives of things, and some patients are more

educated and will understand visuals more than others. Another potential problem is that some

nurses or doctors may show patients illustrations or x-rays to show patients that they do not have

a disease. Patients may panic and assume that the nurse or doctor is diagnosing them. Although

ultrasounds are effective visual aids, sometimes too much information is given that the parents
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 9

do not want to see, such as, gender. This can take away pleasure and excitement during the

pregnancy. Sometimes x-ray and ultrasound imaging can be fuzzy or unrecognizable. Even

though visual aids improve communication and understand between nurses and their patients, the

nurse must take into consideration the potential problems that could be caused.

Conclusion

In order for a nurse to effectively communicate with his or her patients and colleagues,

it is important for nursing students to master the communication modes. Visual communication

modes are used daily in this profession between both the patient and the nurse. Nurses provide

colorful charts, illustrations, x-rays, and other visuals to their patients to give them a better

understanding of their health conditions. Nurses also need to have the skill of visually observing

their patient so that they can properly diagnose or treat them. Not only are visual aids so

beneficial because they provide clear information to patients in quick ways, but because some

patients can only communicate visually. Patients can be deaf or visual learners, so it is important

that nurses can communicate with these patients at the same level as they will any other patient.

Communication is crucial in this profession.

Referneces
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 10

Gopal, S. (2014, June 26). Why Patient Education Materials Should Target Visual

Learners. Renida. Retrieved February 22, 2017.

Moorman, M. (2015). The Meaning of Visual Thinking Strategies for Nursing

Students. Humanities, (4), 748-759. Retrieved February 22, 2017.

Parent Tips: Calories Needed Each Day. (2010). Retrieved February 15, 2017, from

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/downloads/calreqtips.pdf

Rojas, E. (2017). Advantages & Disadvantages of Visual Communication. Hearst Newspapers.

Retrieved February 22, 2017.

Appendix A
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 11

Visual Poster of Caloric Chart and Illustration Chart of Exercise

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/calreqtips.pdf

Appendix B
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 12

Visual Poster on the Dangers of Smoking Tobacco

Appendix C
Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 13

Visual Poster of Labeled Illustration of an Ultrasound and Photographed Ultrasound

Running head: VISUAL COMMUNICATION MODE 14