Evan, a medical records clerk in a small hospital, takes his job very seriously. He recognizes that a mistake in a record could jeopardize a patient's health, the reputation of the hospital, and possibly the patient's life. Marina is the night shift emergency room nurse. On the chart of one of the emergency room patients, Marina reports that the patient's left eye was injured in a worksite accident. AS Evan is gathering the records for the patient, he notes that the doctor and the ambulance driver had stated that the patient's right eye was injured. Evan catches Marina's mistake and confronts her in the hallway. He shakes the patient's medical file at her and yells, “How could you be so negligent? Don't you know right from left? Do you realize you put the patient in jeopardy with this type of error? They could have treated the wrong eye! Don't you care about your patients and this hospital?” This outburst takes place within earshot of a waiting room overflowing with concerned relatives and friends of patients.
1. What is Evan's style of communication in this incident? What characteristics of the style does Evan demonstrate?
2. Who does Evan embarrass by his style of communication? What damage
may have been done because of where he chose to speak to Marina?
3. What words and nonverbal communication could Evan have used to
send his message in an assertive communication style?
4. Assume that Marina is an assertive communicator. What might she say
to Evan after his outburst?