When communicating with a patient requires knowledge of colloquial language – tips for learning Finnish in practice, part 2

In nursing, patients are often encountered whose ability to communicate is limited for one reason or another. Permanent or temporary limitations can be caused by age, illness, disability, mental health background, dementia, or other reasons. In such cases, besides professional skills, a nurse’s interaction abilities require speaking skills and the courage to use colloquial language.

On taito kohdata eri potilasryhmiä puhumalla näille sopivalla tavalla. Keskeisintä on aina kunnioittaa toista osapuolta. Vaikka potilaan ymmärryksessä on vaikeuksia, kunnioitamme henkilöä puhumalla hänelle mahdollisimman selkeästi ja tilannetta arvostaen, emmekä ala selittää pikkulasten kielellä, miten paita napitetaan.
Saimme hyvän muistutuksen puhekielen ja murteiden oppimisen, osaamisen (ja opettamisen) tärkeydestä Ulkomaisten sairaanhoitajien pätevöitymisen polut -seminaarissa, jossa Eija Metsälä Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulusta esitteli tulevan tutkimuksen haastattelutuloksia. (Metsälä 2024.)

When the patient call button beeps...

How can a (future) nurse practicing the language handle various types of speech situations? When a nurse approaches a patient’s bed, they may encounter a wide range of questions presented in different ways: unclear speech from an elderly person, rapid colloquial language, or brief social media-like expressions from a young patient. Communication among team members often takes place in rapid colloquial language, filled with professional slang and abbreviations. How can one prepare for these situations or practice colloquial language?

For those speaking Finnish as a second language, the “tsä-tsä” colloquial style of Finnish is really challenging. In fast speech, strange forms appear, with familiar words scattered here and there; “Would you help me change the sheets? Could you first go to room 3? Could you respond to the patient call?” And when a Finnish nurse responds, “Sure, I can handle that,” a foreign nurse might feel chilled; what does coldness have to do with this situation?

It’s therefore important to give students a basic understanding of colloquial language rules and patterns. Basic information can be found in resources like the textbook Kato hei and the online course Puhutsä suomee. Interns should also be encouraged to use colloquial language themselves, as overly formal language in everyday situations can sound equally strange.

Tips for instructors:

1. Situational planning in advance

• Identify a specific situation that requires speech.
• Develop a concept or outline of the conversation with the student.
• Assign the student to think through the situation and compile vocabulary.
• Then, the student can form sentences with the vocabulary. If the situation is new, the student might need help since it can be difficult to know what expressions are commonly used.
• Adjust the expressions/sentences to suit colloquial language.
• With this preparation and support, the intern can engage in the planned conversation with the patient.

2. Practicing colloquial language

Colloquial language, like professional language or slang, requires separate practice and learning. Young speakers and interns might have seemingly fluent basic language skills. It’s worth remembering that they often manage colloquial language best. Young people face the challenge of managing different language registers; colloquial language can’t be used in a formal email, for example.

A good practice is reading a story aloud to a child. Children’s books contain lively dialogue, and while it may not necessarily be colloquial language, reading aloud and adopting different character voices improves fluency and serves as a solid foundation. You could also read the daily newspaper aloud to residents in a common room. This naturally leads to discussions about current events, which in itself is an important activity, especially for long-term care patients.

During practice, students of Finnish as a second language can be encouraged to communicate in various ways with members of the work community as well as with ward patients or residents. It’s important to ensure that students in the Continuing Professional Education for nurses granted with a Diploma in General Nursing outside the EU/EEA project are given opportunities to practice both professional communication and everyday conversational skills, as they have already graduated as nurses in their own countries. Playing a memory game with an elderly person or reminiscing with someone with dementia can be a good way to encourage interaction.

Non-verbal communication and everyday situations as support for speech

Interaction is much more than spoken language. Using body language can create a shared understanding of a situation, even when neither the patient nor the nurse has strong language skills. Practicing this can go beyond just nursing situations. Engaging in everyday situations, like shopping at a store or market stall, sitting in a café and listening, also helps develop non-verbal communication skills.

Observing and analyzing everyday situations allows one to simulate scenarios for practice with a friend, spouse, or children. Playing “shop,” returning an item at a market stall, or a serving situation at home can serve as good practice. Creating speech situations is easy, and bringing a scenario, like playing with a child on the ward, fosters the connection on which care-based interaction is founded and builds trust in the caregiver-patient relationship.

Materials for students

Berg, M. & Silfverberg, L. 2022. Kato hei. Puhekielen alkeet. Helsinki: FinnLectura.
Puhutsä suomee? Puhekielen verkkokurssi. Materiaali on tuotettu osana DigiJouJou-hanketta 2017-2019.

Sources and additional information

Lilja, N., Eilola, L., Jokipohja, A-K. & Tapaninen, T. (2022). Aikuiset maahanmuuttajat arjen vuorovaikutustilanteissa – Suomen kielen oppimisen mahdollisuudet ja mahdottomuudet. Vastapaino.

Metsälä, E. 2024. Tutkimustuloksia pätevöitymisopintojen aloittamista edistävistä ja estävistä tekijöistä. Seminaariesitys. 11.4.2024. Metropolia-ammattikorkeakoulu. Ulkomaisten sairaanhoitajien pätevöitymisen polut -seminaarissa (JOTPA). Julkaisematon.
Vaittinen, P. (2011). Luottamus terveydenhoitajan ja perheen asiakassuhteen moraalisena ulottuvuutena. Department of Nursing Science Faculty of Health Sciences University of Eastern Finland Kuopio. Oikoluettu_1023.pdf (uef.fi)