Real-Life Communication -- Solution
To Josh: It's OK, Josh. This will not hurt very much at all. I do
not poke a needle in your bone. It will be a little prick in your arm. It
will feel the same as the needles that the nurses have given you before. After
that, I am going to use a big, shiny machine to take a special picture of
you. It's like a great, big camera. It won't hurt at all. You can lie down
nice and still for half an hour. Maybe you can pretend you are in a rocket
ship with all kinds of fancy equipment to look at. You can ask me any questions
you want.
To Josh's mom: I am going to inject a radioactive drug into
Josh's vein. I am wearing this safety gear because I handle radioactive materials
all day long. The amount of radiation could build up in my body and become
dangerous.
The dosage that I am giving to Josh is not very high. It
is about the same as he would get from a regular x-ray.
Your doctor
has ordered this test because he thinks the benefits outweigh the risks. After
I've given Josh the drug, I will use a scanner to create a diagnostic image.
This digital image shows the radiation's distribution in Josh's tissues and
organs. It gives your doctor information to help him reach a diagnosis. He
will discuss the results with you. The scanning part of the procedure takes
about 20 minutes. Josh will need to lie still. He might get bored, but there
will not be any pain. Do you have any questions before we begin?
"Communication
skills are very important," says Lisa Betts. She is the clinical coordinator
for a nuclear medicine technology program. "If you can't communicate
effectively, it could be a roadblock."