Informative and Persuasive Passage of Psychiatric Patients View - Literature review Example

LОSЕ RЕАDING OF А LITЕRАRY РАSSАGЕ Name Institution Professor Course Date Introduction ” Sight Unseen: Conversation Two “We need to recover from being in hospital” is an informative and persuasive passage that highlights the views of psychiatric patients regarding their care in mental health hospitals. The passage gives the impression that; patients are not satisfied with the type of care they receive from psychiatric nurses. The objective of this paper is to analyse the passage literary to ascertain the challenges in provision of psychiatric care. The paper assesses the impressions of the article, the vocabulary used, discerning patterns, point of view, symbolism, and provides implication for practice and service delivery. First Impressions The passage entails personal views of a patient with regard to provision of care in psychiatric hospitals for in-patient clients. The passage is persuasive, convincing and informative as the speaker depends on factual and logical evidence as the basis of his facts. The first notion from the passage comes from the title of the passage; ‘Sight Unseen’ that based on the content of the article implies that although the nurses are there within the vicinity of the patients, they do little to promote patients’ recovery; hence there is a problem in service delivery (Cath, 2003). The speaker confirms that there are times when patients need something from the nurses but the nurses are nowhere to be found. From the passage, patients are only confined in psychiatric hospitals when they are in crises and this is when a person is in a condition where she/he can hurt her/himself or others and not for treatment purpose. This explains why nurses are not available at all times to attend to their clients although they work from their workstations. It also explains why nurses hold little interaction with their patients. The passage offers the idea that the whole psychiatric service system is failing both the patients and service providers. The second impression is that something has to be done to improve the wellbeing of psychiatric patients as well as that of nurses. This entails changing the entire psychiatric service system. There are many problems facing psychiatric service system and they include lack of communication between psychiatric nurses and patients regarding patients’ diagnosis and treatment as well as communication breakdown between psychiatric nurses and other physicians. The communication breakdown is a major cause of ineffectiveness in provision of care. According to the speaker, the mental health hospital, particularly inpatient service system is supposed to enhance patients’ recovery. Patients’ frustration and anger may develop and they may lash out on other patients and staff. The incidences of aggression that go unreported may jeopardise the lives of staff and other patients (Cath, 2003). Inpatients atmosphere in psychiatric hospitals is not conducive for both patients and nurses. While nurses ignore patients who are in need of their care, nurses themselves ignore the needs of fellow nurses hence, jeopardising the wellbeing of nurses and that of patients. In addition, patients are not included in their care decisions and are deprived of their rights to diagnosis and treatment. The impressions from the passage are complementary as they ascertain that there are major problems involving both patients and nurses in psychiatric care. The passage is informal and the mood of the passage is apprehensive, worrying and sympathetic. The speaker intends to create awareness and offer information on the sad situation that patients and nurses in psychiatric hospitals go through. As a reader, am informed and persuaded that all is not well in psychiatric hospitals and something must be done to enhance provision of care to patients and support the wellbeing of psychiatric nurses. Vocabulary and Diction Diction entails the application and choice of words for expression of notions and refers to the whole style of writing and speaking of the speaker. Vocabulary, on the other hand, entails the entire words stock utilised by the speaker. The speaker has used vibrant language and diction that appeals to the emotions of the reader. The diction ranges from learned to colloquial with concrete words such as ward, bathroom, door, abstract diction that arouses the readers’ emotion and casual diction such as doesn’t, it’s, there’s, I’ve, don’t, couldn’t, you’re and wasn’t (Cath, 2003) His assumption that patients need to recover from being in hospital is substantive thereby giving the notion that the public will conceivably accept his claim. The author has brought into play solid and vivacious language that attracts the emotions of the reader. The speaker uses personal pronouns such as he, we, I to make the writing more human. Through application of personal pronouns the speaker commits himself to the argument and the point he is willing to drive home. Identification of specific persons, “An example is when a new patient arrived...when I wanted to use a bathroom, he was in there with the door unlocked and the light off” helps the reader in making sense of the passage (Cath, 2003). In addition, the speaker has used words that appeals to the common sense and logic of the reader. He has explained points and ideas soundly through use of diction to make his argument make sense to the reader, “Alarms went off and the staff came from upstairs and had to use keys to let themselves into the ward” (Cath, 2003). This shows that there is a problem with the setting of the hospitals where the service receivers and service providers are far a part. The use of personal pronouns appeals to the emotions of the reader. Additionally, such statements like., “Do the nurses have the right to ignore patients in need, or tell patients that they won’t talk to them unless the patient approaches them” arouse the emotions of the reader and makes him/her feel guilty that patients are left unattended or ignored despite having problems persuades the reader to push for action as a means of enhancing patient care in psychiatric hospital setting (Cath, 2003). The speaker has also provided genuine evidence of the situation of patients and psychiatric nurses in psychiatric hospitals. The speaker has used medical jargon very sparingly and has used suitable language, low level language, that suites the subject matter and the intended audience. He has made use of numerous descriptions which are sincere, fair minded and more importantly reserved. Discerning Patterns Discerning patterns facilitates development of a speakers or a writer’s vocabulary. Although there is no image in this passage that another image in the book, there is a clear picture that the psychiatric service system is failing both patients and service providers. This passage serves as a microcosm of what is happening in the entire work. The sentences in the passage are with some parallelism and periodic sentences, “He was still there in the morning, no cast, going to have it treated later” (Cath, 2003). Some sentences are short with common fragments. There are no balanced sentences in the passage. The sentences include slangs, broken syntax and figures of speech. The passage takes a personal tone and words are made simpler through contractions. The passage holds several writing styles which include a narration, description and dialogue. The sentence rhythm of the passage is variable. The words are positioned in a phrase or a sentence, the stops and pauses are formed by punctuation. It takes the reader varied time to read long words and short words and the author has used smooth transitions from one word to another. The paragraph and sentences are varied; some are short while others are long. The use of contractions has helped in forming the right rhythm. The writing style is informal and more direct and depends heavily on short sentences, contractions and ellipses, “A nurse was there, got the same response” (Cath, 2003). There is less distance amid the reader and the writer because of the personal tone. The passage contains several words that are repeated such patient, services and treatment. The authors used repetitive language to attract understanding as well as catch the reader’s emotions. An evidence of paradox has been cited when the speaker says that he is constantly reminded that inpatient services are offered only in times of crisis when a patient poses danger to oneself and others but not for treatment. However, the patient says he receives treatment and follow-up from his psychiatrist and the case manager while still in in-patient unit, “When I am an inpatient, they would be managing my treatment independently of other services” (Cath, 2003). Although the speaker has not openly stated what mental health condition she/he suffers from, the reader can consider that the speaker is suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder because he/she seems to be so much interested in educating nurses in diverse areas of psychiatric illness and mentions Borderline personality Disorder as one major mental illness he/she is concerned about. Point of View and Characterization The passage in sympathetic and concerning and it makes the reader feel that the characters in the narrative are going through a difficult time due to ignorance and negligence in psychiatric hospital setting. The passage also makes the reader sympathise with the characters, both nurses and their clients particularly in the situation where the nurse breaks his arm but still remain in his workplace despite the injuries (Cath, 2003). While this shows that the nurse shows concern and respect for his work, something is a miss in the hospitals where perhaps there are inadequate staffs to serve the clients or replace the nurses during such emergencies. The speaker is not comfortable with type of service offered in the hospital and he cites lack of commitment by nurses and lack of communication between service providers. He also cites low interaction between service providers and service receivers. There are several things in passage that appeals to the reader’s senses and they include use of descriptive words such as the bathroom, stairs, broken arm, door and ward. The speaker has utilised vivid descriptions and figurative images to show how regrettable is the situation of psychiatric patients in in-patient care. The use of figurative language such as, “Meanwhile the male nurse who was trying to restrain the patient got a broken arm, and even though he has an X-ray which revealed a break...” creates power to the descriptive words (Cath, 2003) . This imagery arouses the emotions of the reader and gives a clear picture of the situation of physiatrist patients under in-patient care. The author has also used soft evidence inform of anecdote to demonstrate his argument and to help the reader understand his concern and demonstrate his point. There are two speakers in the passage, the consumer consultant and the psychiatric patient who is the main speaker (Cath, 2003). The narrator is omniscient and he expresses the feelings and thoughts of other psychiatric patients. His intended audience include psychiatric patients, nurses and other physicians in the field of psychology. His point of view is not limited and he speakers on behalf of psychiatric patients and nurses. Symbolism There are several major and significant aspects that the writer has excellently used. These facets have extensively helped the author in appealing to the brainpower and comprehension of the reader. The author has used similes and metaphors to attract the attention of the reader and arouse the reader’s feelings. This is evident in the third paragraph where one of the speakers equates the procedures he got from a book, “It’s more like a history of how things developed and evolved” (Cath, 2003). The author also uses metaphors with verbs such as, “Somehow a conflict broke out and the male nurse tried to restrain the new patient”. The use of such metaphors (broke out) demonstrates how the author speaks and think. A metaphor is a speech figure that says one thing in a different manner. For instance, the phrase break out could mean to become affected but in this sentence it means a start of conflict. “How would I know” is a metaphor that helps the reader to understand that the speaker’s psychiatrist did not know about the progress of his patient (Cath, 2003). This is a simple metaphor that is used to convey the idea that the speakers’ psychiatrist does not received information from psychiatric nurses about the progress of his patient. The mention of keys in the passage, “Alarms went off and staff came from upstairs and had to use keys to let themselves into the ward” symbolises the authority of staff in the sense that the staff has power over the patients (Cath, 2003). Patients can only get out of their wards with authority from the staff. With respect to religion, keys are a sign of authority where they are use as a symbol of binding and loosing, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19 NIV). The stairs symbolises the gap and the negative relationship between the psychiatric service providers and service receivers. The speaker indicates that there is no interaction and communication amid psychiatric nurses and patients and in this regard, the stairs represent how distant nurses are from their patients. The author also uses rhetorical questions to convince the reader that there is a problem in in-patient psychiatric hospital setting, “Do nurses have the right to ignore patients in need... (Cath, 2003). The passage implies that there is a major problem in the manner in which psychiatric service system operates. There a need to train psychiatric nurses in order to enhance provision of care and change the entire psychiatric service system to better service provision. There is a need to change the operational system of psychiatric hospitals in the sense that patients must be included in their diagnosis and treatment and given information on their mental health conditions. Communication between nurses taking care of patients and physicians should be enhanced to ensure quality care. Conclusion The passage is an informal writing with a personal connotation, and it is addressed to psychiatric patients and nurses. The passage is informative, convincing and persuasive to the reader. The author has used first and second person narrative, contractions, personal pronouns, simple sentences and colloquial words to appeal to the logic and emotions of the reader. The speaker has used apposite level of vocabulary and the right grammar for the intended audience. The passage holds a sympathetic and apprehensive mood and it highlights the problems encountered by psychiatric patients during their stay in in-patient care and the plight of psychiatric nurses in their workstations. To enhance the reader’s understanding, the author has used simple sentences, low-level vocabulary and stylistic devices such as smiles, symbolism and rhetorical questions. The passage suggests that something must be done to enhance the safety of patients and nurses in psychiatric hospital setting and training is need to improve service delivery and psychiatric service system. Reference Cath, R .(2003). Sight unseen: Conversations between receivers: On mental health nursing and psychiatric service systems. Victoria: Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice. Read More

The communication breakdown is a major cause of ineffectiveness in provision of care. According to the speaker, the mental health hospital, particularly inpatient service system is supposed to enhance patients’ recovery. Patients’ frustration and anger may develop and they may lash out on other patients and staff. The incidences of aggression that go unreported may jeopardise the lives of staff and other patients (Cath, 2003). Inpatients atmosphere in psychiatric hospitals is not conducive for both patients and nurses.

While nurses ignore patients who are in need of their care, nurses themselves ignore the needs of fellow nurses hence, jeopardising the wellbeing of nurses and that of patients. In addition, patients are not included in their care decisions and are deprived of their rights to diagnosis and treatment. The impressions from the passage are complementary as they ascertain that there are major problems involving both patients and nurses in psychiatric care. The passage is informal and the mood of the passage is apprehensive, worrying and sympathetic.

The speaker intends to create awareness and offer information on the sad situation that patients and nurses in psychiatric hospitals go through. As a reader, am informed and persuaded that all is not well in psychiatric hospitals and something must be done to enhance provision of care to patients and support the wellbeing of psychiatric nurses. Vocabulary and Diction Diction entails the application and choice of words for expression of notions and refers to the whole style of writing and speaking of the speaker.

Vocabulary, on the other hand, entails the entire words stock utilised by the speaker. The speaker has used vibrant language and diction that appeals to the emotions of the reader. The diction ranges from learned to colloquial with concrete words such as ward, bathroom, door, abstract diction that arouses the readers’ emotion and casual diction such as doesn’t, it’s, there’s, I’ve, don’t, couldn’t, you’re and wasn’t (Cath, 2003) His assumption that patients need to recover from being in hospital is substantive thereby giving the notion that the public will conceivably accept his claim.

The author has brought into play solid and vivacious language that attracts the emotions of the reader. The speaker uses personal pronouns such as he, we, I to make the writing more human. Through application of personal pronouns the speaker commits himself to the argument and the point he is willing to drive home. Identification of specific persons, “An example is when a new patient arrived.when I wanted to use a bathroom, he was in there with the door unlocked and the light off” helps the reader in making sense of the passage (Cath, 2003).

In addition, the speaker has used words that appeals to the common sense and logic of the reader. He has explained points and ideas soundly through use of diction to make his argument make sense to the reader, “Alarms went off and the staff came from upstairs and had to use keys to let themselves into the ward” (Cath, 2003). This shows that there is a problem with the setting of the hospitals where the service receivers and service providers are far a part. The use of personal pronouns appeals to the emotions of the reader.

Additionally, such statements like., “Do the nurses have the right to ignore patients in need, or tell patients that they won’t talk to them unless the patient approaches them” arouse the emotions of the reader and makes him/her feel guilty that patients are left unattended or ignored despite having problems persuades the reader to push for action as a means of enhancing patient care in psychiatric hospital setting (Cath, 2003). The speaker has also provided genuine evidence of the situation of patients and psychiatric nurses in psychiatric hospitals.

The speaker has used medical jargon very sparingly and has used suitable language, low level language, that suites the subject matter and the intended audience.

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