A Community to Belong to

A community is a group that is brought together for some specific reason. For
example, the community that will be focused on, is the CNA (Certified Nursing
Assistant) community. This community focuses on getting people into the medical
field, even if it is at the bottom of the totem pole; its better than nothing. This
community is for people that aspire to go to Medical School and want to get their
foot in the door of this field a little bit. Being in this community is such a learning
experience whether its from the actual tasks that we are handed, communication
with the patients, new friends or how to properly communicate as a team. Once in a
community everything throughout the experience will last a lifetime, so cherish
those memories to help one out in their future.
A CANs are generally the people that do hands on medical practices while a
nurse is watching. Some common practices they will do, is taking patients vitals
like height and weight or helping patients bath, dress, and eat if they cant perform
those tasks on their own. Also CNAs will sometimes be able to draw blood.
Communication is a key thing throughout the whole CNA experience, from day one
communication is used in classes like any other classroom setting, it will also
benefit in clinicals. Communication is required for an exceptional learning
experience. Genres, in terms of this paper, are the different ways of communication
occur in any specific community that is chosen. The specific genres that are focused
on for this community are: clinicals, registered nurses, patient records, rotational
charts and the teamwork as a whole. The purpose of communication for this
community, is to make sure the students know what they are doing and to help the
doctor ultimately assess the patient when they make their rounds.

The first form of communication in a CNA community is in clinicals. During a

clinical a CNA works under a Registered Nurse instructor doing whatever tasks he or
she assigns. The common communication noted here is visual and informative,
because the instructor is there to help show the CNA what to do and to critique the
tasks that students perform once they are at a high enough education to do so.
Obviously the audience would be the students for this type of communication, since
the students are the ones listening to the instructor; just like a normal school
setting. During this communication the rhetorical appeals that would be used are
ethos and pathos. Ethos is used, because the instructor is trying to receive
credibility from teaching. Pathos is also used, because the CNA is trying to
emotionally appeal to the patient by informing the patient what they will be doing.
The mode of this communication is audio and visual, since the instructor will show
you what to do but they can also stand behind the student and critique the way
they perform the tasks. Although, the mode of communication really all depends on
the instructors teaching style. Clearly this type of teaching is a face-to-face type of
medium since all instructors are required to be in that same room as the students
for effective teaching.
Another similar form of communication to a Registered Nurse instructor, is a
Registered Nurse. Registered Nurses are useful once the student is officially a CNA
and can be either in a hospital or a clinical office setting. Legally a CNA can only
perform tasks when an actual Registered Nurse is in the room with them. The main
purpose for a Nurse to be in the room, is to help the CNA if they need any
assistance or to instruct the CNA if they forgot a step. This type of communication is
also informative and intended to inform or help the CNAs once again. When this
communication occurs, the only rhetorical appeal that could possibly follow this, is

ethos. Ethos resides in this communication, because it is more or less informing the
CNA what to do when they have a patient and to make sure the CNA will do the
same procedure. Having a Nurse to communicate follows the audio mode of
communication, because the Nurses shouldnt have to show the student how to do
something, since the student has already passed the exam and clinicals. The type of
media being used will also be face-to-face communication. This type of
communication is very effective, because then the student will understand how the
work setting is effective. Sometimes the relationship with the nurse that the CNA is
paired with can ultimately develop a friendship like any other work environment.
A third type of communication that happens in any medical environment is
patient records. Patient records are informative, because they tell the CNA
everything that medically happened in the patients past. Not only that, but the CNA
has to update all of the vital information at every visit to help the doctor have
proper diagnosis if any unusual occurrences happen, and to keep them up to date.
For example, an unusual occurrence could be when a patient has lost too much
weight in a short amount of time, which then can help the doctor notice that
something must be wrong with the patients lifestyle. Patient records are intended
to be used for only medical professionals, and legally cannot be freely given out to
anyone but the patient and whomever they gave consent to see the results. The
specific rhetorical appeal used during this form of communication is logos. Logos fits
best into this communication, because logos derives from logic. Patient records are
logical proof of previous illnesses, allergies, visits and complete history of the
patient or family that can help the doctor figure out what the possible reason for the
visit is. Patient records are also there to help different doctors that will come in the
patients future. For example, if someone ends up having cancer, then the current

doctor can fax patient records over for a much quicker appointment. A clear mode
for this communication, is text-based since patient records are always documents.
The media for this communication, is either print or digital because some places; for
example, the FSU health center still uses paper for the patient to answer questions
about their health history. Although, a doctor that is commonly seen back at home
will most likely have all the records on computer, which then would be digital. Just
like the previous communication systems this one is also very effective for the CNA
community, because without patient records appointments will always take longer
than needed which is not a good thing to have in a medical community.
The fourth type of communication that is in a CNA community is a rotation
chart. Rotation charts are an informative genre, because they tell what Register
Nurses are with which CNAs, and what rooms those pairs will be covering on the
floor. The audience for this communication is the RN and CNA employees for
whatever medical setting it is in. This communication would use logos rhetorical
appeal. Logos is incorporated, because the person that makes the rotational charts
strategically puts it together based off of who works well with whom and how much
the duo can take room wise before they are overwhelmed. The mode of
communication for rotational charts are visual, since it is an exact chart of the floor
that the CNA will be working on. This communication uses print as its media, since
the chart is printed before the beginning of each shift change, so the nurses know
where to go. This is a very effective way of communication, so there is no chaos
involved with who gets what room and so no one is left out.
The final form of communication that will be brought up in this paper for the
CNA community, is teamwork in general. Teamworks purpose is to have everyone
work in unity and have effective communication go through people correctly. For

example, the CNA should report the vitals of the patient to the nurse, and the nurse
will record that and any symptoms, which then ultimately goes to the doctor.
Another example would be if the doctor orders scans or shots, then the he or she
will tell the nurse and the nurse will sometimes have the CNA do it if they are too
busy. The audience for teamwork is self-explanatory, which is just whomever is
working that shift. Ethos is the only rhetorical appeal, because it incorporates the
ethical idea of a perfect working environment by having top communication to
everyone. A mode for this kind of communication, is audio since people will be
talking to on another if they need help with anything or to even tell them what to
do. Face to face is obviously the media of communication, but it also could be by
media if the working environment requires a pager to be on their staff. This type of
communication is very effective in order for everything in the working environment
to work smoothly.
In Bedford Book of Genres by Amy Braziller and Elizabeth Kleinfield, it says
that a key element to any type of genre is to be accurate, clear and direct (98). This
is exactly what genre conventions are for because the CNAs then know what the
expectations are for each example of communication. For the first type of
communication, clinicals, the expectation is that there is no goofing off, which can
be subverted by keeping the CNAs busy at all times. Another expectation is that
the CNAs should come with questions, which is maintained by the instructor always
asking if anyone has any questions throughout the clinical. For the second form of
communication, the registered nurses expect professionalism, which can be
maintained by having them step in if the CNA gets too off topic or isnt performing
their job. Its okay to get off topic a little bit with the patient, because one does
need to develop a good relationship with the patient. The third communication,

patient records, are expected to be neat and organized, which can be maintained by
looking over the records before saving them into the system for the doctor to see.
The fourth form of communication, rotation charts, are expected to be out every
shift, which can be maintained by having someone ask, if they arent out. The last
and final form of communication, teamwork, is expected to have no drama. The
best way to subvert drama is by leaving it at the door and especially by having no
serious relationships occur in the work environment.
If communication is not well in a medical setting, then everything could go
wrong. Most patients would not want to go back to a doctor appointment because of
how chaotic it would be. There are so many aspects needed for perfect
communication in a CNA. Effective communication skills for a CNA should include
active listening, documenting, observing and responding to the needs of the
residents especially when they have something to convey (freecnatraining.org).
This quote states that all of these are needed in a CNA, which ironically all of these
types of skills are stated throughout this paper. For example, active listening is used
when the CNA is with their nurse on rotation. Active listening means listening to the
residents without getting yourself distracted by your personal thoughts,
acknowledging them as human beings worthy of your attention
(freecnatraining.com). The next skill stated was documenting, which is like doing
patient records. Another form of communication is in clinicals, which uses the
observing skill set. Observing is also a type of skill wherein you immediately know
the unexpressed needs of the residents through their gestures or physical
condition (freecnatraining.org). If a CNA can acquire these types of skill sets, then
they show that there is a good working relationship throughout the medical setting.
Without each of these communication systems: teamwork, rotation charts, patient

records, Registered Nurses and clinicals, then the community wont be a community
anymore and would just be considered a zoo of individuals.

Works Cited

Marcus. CNA Training Classes. Campus Explorer. 20 May 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.
Braziller, Amy and Kleinfeld, Elizabeth. The Bedford Book of Genres. Boston:
Bedford, 2014. Print.