WIT Film Analysis on Effective Communication

This essay analyzes effective and ineffective communication in nursing care through a WIT movie analysis. It discusses the importance of effective communication in nursing care and the impact of nonverbal communication. The essay also reflects on knowledge and skills gaps and a plan for improving communication effectiveness.

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WIT Film Analysis on Effective Communication
Effective communication is an important aspect for establishing therapeutic relationships.
Effective communication enables nurses to provide ethical, safe, quality, and person-centered
nursing care (Farrington and Townsend, 2014). Effective communication refers to a verbal or
nonverbal methods that relay information in a clear and simple term (Matusitz and Spear, 2014).
Communication is essential to nursing as nurses are used as communication hub and relay or
interpret information between family members, physicians, caregivers and the patients (Jolles,
Clark and Braam, 2012). The following essay discusses effective and ineffective communication
when providing nursing care as watched from a WIT Movie 2001 directed by Mike Nichols. The
essay will also contain my reflection on knowledge or skills gaps and a plan for improving
communication effectiveness when providing nursing care.
The WIT Movie was shot in a hospital setting where the main character Vivian Bearing is
diagnosed with Stage (IV) Ovaries Cancer. The patient is convinced by Harvey Kelekian to
agree and undertake an experimental eight months treatment that was to help contribute
knowledge towards cancer treatment. Harvey Kelekian is a prominent physician and leads a team
of researchers who include a former Vivian’s student Jason Posner and a primary nurse Susie
Monahan (WIT, 2001). The physicians are involved in several ineffective communications that
are insensitive and amuses the patient causing more pain that the real illness. The phrase “how
are you feeling today?” is frequently as a form of greetings or inquiring her condition. Vivian
narrates how she was asked how she was feeling today after a four hours operation. She
remembers how she used to be asked the same question while growing up and contrasts with the
current situation. Vivian remarks that when she dies she will not be able to hear the question. For
instance, Doctor Posner together with other researchers asks Vivian what she was feeling today
and she replies she was fine. Doctor Posner then leads the physicians on experimental briefing.
Vivian feels that after teaching she was used to a specimen to learn and contribute to existing
knowledge. In another account, Jason Posner in an isolation room after taking an assessment asks
Vivian how she was feeling on that day. Vivian replied that she was fine and was just taking
sometime from the chills. Vivian thereafter expresses her feelings and attitudes towards her
condition in isolation room when the Doctor leaves the room. Jason Posner also asks Vivian how
she was feeling that day after she had several treatments and now she was back to her room.

Vivian has expressed distress about the series of treatments that she had undergone before doctor
Posner assessment. The phrase “how you are feeling today?” has an automatic spontaneous
response “fine” (Ha and Longnecker, 2010). The other party is obliged to answer in a certain
way not to disappoint. This applies to patients too as they are obliged to give a positive response
despite their ill condition not to disappoint (Bramhall, 2014). The phrase said to patients also
becomes more of a greeting rather than an inquiry. This leads to the patients responding with a
short answer or in an expected manner that does not reveal the patient’s emotions, attitudes, or
feelings. The physicians are thereby not able to get an inquiry because the phrase does not
encourage patients to give a detailed feedback.
On the other side, the movie contains effective communication scenery. Nurse Susie shows good
therapeutic relationship and communicates effectively with Vivian. Susie answers Vivian call
early in the morning where they engage in a conversation. Susie starts the conversation with
Vivian by inquiring if there is a problem since she was awake at 4am. Susie combines tone and
body language to communicate with Vivian. The nurse tries to find out why the patient doesn’t
sleep. Vivian explains that she is not able to sleep as she kept on thinking. The nurse changes her
body posture and looks directly to the patient. Vivian expresses her doubts and that she was
scared. Vivian becomes emotional and Susie responds by a body contact and showing care to the
patient. The nurse also provides Vivian with popsicles and sits alongside her. The nurse and
Vivian engaged in an honest discussion was targeted to providing the patient with knowledge
(Ha and Longnecker, 2010). A nurse offering a touch is a powerful means of communicating
with a patient. Touching a patient’s hands conveys that the nurse is concerned and shows
empathy (Shannon, 2012). Maintaining eye contact with patient expresses confidence that offer
encouragement to their condition (Garrett, 2016). The body posture is also an important part of
effective communication. It helps a nurse communicate better by showing relation that reduces
anxiety to patients. Therefore, Susie was effective in communicating with Vivian by finding a
balance between empathy and honest discussion.

Reflection
The WIT Movie has several scenes that are educative to health professionals or students learning
to practice the profession. I have learnt about effective therapeutic and professional
communication that has enabled me to indentify the knowledge and skills gaps that can impact
my capacity for effective communication when practicing nursing. First, I have learnt that
nonverbal language is an important tool to effective communication. Nurses should combine
verbal and nonverbal communication to enhance the effectiveness of communication in health
centers. Nonverbal communication to be used includes eye contact, body posture, and touch.
Nonverbal communication enhances the delivery of the information by establishing confidence,
trust, and empathy. Secondly, I have learnt that some phrases are inappropriate when establishing
a therapeutic relationship. For instance, using the phrase “how are you feeling today?” frequently
is mechanical and patients are obliged to answer “fine” accompanied by a short or no comment.
The phrase does not allow patients to express themselves as expected in an assessment session.
The phrase is also taken as greetings and therefore cannot be used to inquire information from a
patient. Thirdly, I have learnt that effective professional and therapeutic communication require a
humanistic approach. A humanistic approach enables nurses to take a holistic approach of care to
a patient that foster emotional and mental health in addition to the physical illness. This can be
enhanced by finding a balance between professional practice and research to avoid undermining
the patient’s interests. I have also learnt on the need for using simple vocabularies and providing
information for effective communication. Use of medical jargons is a barrier to effective
communication as patient is not able to understanding their conditions. Nurses should therefore
communicate in simplest language that patients can understand and make decisions about their
health. Providing patient with information empowers the patient to make decisions. Therefore,
effective therapeutic and professional communication is essential for providing quality and safe
nursing care.
From the film, I noticed a knowledge gap and skills in establishing effective professional
communication and therapeutic relationships. I noticed that I lack alternative phrases that I can
use to inquire information from a patient. The “how are you feeling today?” phrase is common
but inappropriate in establishing therapeutic relationship with patients. The phrase has a
spontaneous answer and cannot be used for professional inquiry. Secondly, I have noticed that I

did not pay attention to my nonverbal communication. I have a weakness when it comes to
aligning my verbal communication with body language. The body language is important in
delivering effective communication to a patient and therefore an important that I should
addressed before I start practicing nursing.
The plan to improve my knowledge and skills gap will involve learning new things that are
essential for effective communication. First, I will research on alternative phrases that can be
used to inquire information from a patient. This will involve reviewing past research work on
effective communication for inquiring patient information. This will increase my opening
conversation phrases that are appropriate and effective for therapeutic and professional
communication. The plan to improve my body language will involve learning by practice. I will
learn how to align my verbal communication with facial expressions, touch, eye contact, and
body posture. This will increase the effectiveness of my communication when establishing
therapeutic relationship as a health care professional.
In conclusion, patients’ health care delivery is impacted by the effectiveness of the health care
provider communication skills. Therapeutic and professional communication is important to
delivering a safe and quality health care. Health care professionals should be careful when
choosing words as opening statement or when inquiring information from patients. They should
use nonverbal communication to compliment their verbal communication. Health professionals
should also take a humanistic approach when providing health care to hospitalized patients. This
will enable physicians to balance between research and professional practice interests when
handling an experimental condition. Therefore, it requires effective communication in
establishing appropriate therapeutic relationships for safe and quality health care.

References
Bramhall, E. (2014) ‘Effective communication skills in nursing practice’, Nursing Standard,
29(14), pp. 53–59. doi: 10.7748/ns.29.14.53.e9355.
Farrington, N. and Townsend, K. (2014) ‘Enhancing nurse-patient communication: a critical
reflection’, British Journal of Nursing, 23(14), pp. 771–775. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2014.23.14.771.
Garrett, J. H. (2016) ‘Effective Perioperative Communication to Enhance Patient Care’, AORN
Journal, 104(2), pp. 111–120. doi: 10.1016/j.aorn.2016.06.001.
Ha, J. F. and Longnecker, N. (2010) ‘Doctor-patient communication: a review.’, The Ochsner
Journal, 10(1), pp. 38–43. doi: 10.1043/toj-09-0040.1.
Jolles, E. P., Clark, A. M. and Braam, B. (2012) ‘Getting the message across: Opportunities and
obstacles in effective communication in hypertension care’, Journal of Hypertension, pp. 1500–
1510. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0b013e32835476e1.
Matusitz, J. and Spear, J. (2014) ‘Effective doctor-patient communication: An updated
examination’, Social Work in Public Health, 29(3), pp. 252–266. doi:
10.1080/19371918.2013.776416.