This document discusses communication with adolescents aged 13-18. It notes that this is a time of transition from childhood to adulthood with a range of maturity levels. Adolescents experience physical, emotional, and social changes with demands from school, peers, and society. While they may act mature, they can also display childlike behavior when stressed. They desire independence but still need parental comfort and security. Effective communication involves providing thorough explanations, clarifying language, making information meaningful, and using an appropriate tone. Barriers to communication include the adolescent's changing body, issues of confidentiality, and privacy. Healthcare workers should address fears and questions with respect, dignity, and without judgment.

1. Adolescent Communication
Jolene, Caitlin, John, and Sara

2. Who Are Adolescents?
• Teenagers
• 13-18 years of age

3. Who Are Adolescents?
• Transitioning from
childhood to adulthood
• Range of Maturity levels
• Time of physical,
emotional, and social
change
• Many demands are
placed on them
– School, peers, society

4. Who Are Adolescents?
• May act mature like
adults
• Childlike behaviour
when ill or in stressful
situations
• Desire Independence
– Still dependent on
parents for comfort &
Security

5. Who are Adolescents?
• Difficult to allow
autonomous decisions
• Not always clear if they
are capable of making
wise authoritative
decisions
• Avoid using authoritarian
approach
• Involve them in as much
decision making as
possible

6. Adolescents can understand:
•
•
•
•
•
Cause and effect
Multistep directions
Concepts in health
Causes of disease
Benefits of health promotion
– May reject practicing them due to
social pressures

7. Basic Communication with
Adolescents
• Provide thorough
explanations and
rational
• Clarify scientific
language
• Make information
meaningful to life
• Use appropriate tone of
voice, attitude and
volume of voice

8. Remember that poor
attitudes toward healthcare
in adults may be a result of a
lack of sensitivity to the
individual during these
Adolescent years

9. Barriers to Communication
• Changing Individual and
Body
• Confidentiality
• Privacy

10. Changing Individual and Body
• Physical, emotional,
hormonal changes are
occurring
– effects their behavior,
emotions, and changes
in their mood
– may behave irrationally
or be emotionally
unstable

11. Changing Individual and Body
• May be more emotionally charged depending
on the context
– Their condition may have a huge impact on them,
especially if it alters their physical appearance or
body functions
– Illness or injury can mean loss of dependency and
feelings of confinement
• eg. Broken leg

12. Changing Individual and Body
• Adapting to bodily
changes and very
preoccupied with
appearance
– Growth spurts, increased
weight, changes in bodily
proportions, etc.
• Change in physical
appearance may cause
embarrassment
– clumsiness, poor
coordination, and a change
in body image

13. Changing Individual and Body
Communication:
• Make patient
comfortable Humor
– Ask about hobbies,
school, sports, etc.
– May be more willing to
communicate and
discuss concerns and ask
questions

14. Changing Individual and Body
Communication:
• be modest, understanding and do not judge
• Sensitivity to Adolescent’s embarrassment
• Provide thorough explanations and the rational
for procedures.

15. Confidentiality

16. Confidentiality
• One of most important
aspects of health care for
Adolescents
• Ensure patient that
everything is kept
confidential, and explain
what this means
– Everything is between the
health care workers
providing care and the
patient
– Includes what happens,
conversations, or the
results

17. Confidentiality
Communication:
• May be more willing to communicate and discuss
concerns and ask questions if they feel they can
trust the health care worker
• Try and make the patient feel comfortable
– use of humor
– Ask about hobbies, school, sports, etc.
– avoid making comments about their hair or clothes, or
good grades
• These are sensitive topics due to peer and parent
expectations

18. Confidentiality
Communication:
• Ask open ended
questions allowing them
to open up
• Do not judge – issues
may be embarrassing or
personal

19. Confidentiality
• Communication difficulties may be caused by
fear that information will not be kept
confidential
– Concern that parents will be informed about discussions
that take place between the adolescent and the health
care professional
• Fear of potential scolding from parents
– Pregnancy Example
– This can also result in reluctance to talk about health
concerns and problems

20. Confidentiality
• Address fears and concerns
• Parents still continue to be
the main providers, carers,
and sources of health
information to teenagers.
– This contribution by parents
needs to be supported and
respected
• Parents/Guardians may
need to sign an informed
consent if the patient is a
minor (under 18)

21. Privacy

22. Privacy
• Modesty and privacy are
very important
• Includes fear threats to
their physical appearance
– change in body image may
cause embarrassment
• X-ray images may be
perceived by adolescents
as being invasive and
“seeing everything”

23. Privacy
Communication:
• Treat worries and
concerns with Respect
and Dignity
– Ask open ended
questions
– No judgement
– Provide thorough
explanations and the
rational for procedures.

24. Privacy
Communication:
• Allow adolescent privacy
• Right to undergo a procedure, treatment, examination
without parents present
• Discuss sensitive health issues in private

25. Youth does not mean healthy – Adolescents are
often overlooked and can have serious health
issues/ Concerns

26. An Interview With an ER Nurse

27. Adolescent cases vary greatly:
• Range in maturity and dependency
• Values
• privacy and responsibility
• Communication
• Encouragement, positive feedback, patience, flexibility
• Compounding complications
• Cultural, language, mental health, drug addiction, child
abuse

28. THE END