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Running head: Patient Interview

Patient Interview
Gelsey Jian

University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing

505 Fundamentals of Nursing

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Patient Interview

Patient Interview

Mental and Medical Background

AJ is a 20- year old male with Bipolar Disorder and comorbid ADD and Asperger’s. He is an

unemployed community college student without a wife or children. He has a family history of depression,

anxiety, ADD, and bipolar disorder. He was diagnosed as having childhood bipolar disorder at age 7 and

has been on mood stabilizers ever since. His illness began in Kindergarten where he would get into sad

moods that interfered with his schoolwork. Later in 1st grade, the illness progressed where he would write

suicide notes on his schoolwork and try to hurt himself by scratching his skin deliberately and poking

himself with sharp pencils.

AJ was hospitalized several times throughout his life. Over the years he has collected his other

diagnoses. He always believed that he always had Asperger’s, but because his family and doctors were

concentrating on the bipolar diagnoses, other symptoms, such as poor social skills were overlooked.

Many people were affected by his illness. His young friends didn’t understand having a mental

illness at a young age, and he was often left isolated and alone. His mother was very helpful, as she was

prompt to take him to hospitals, doctors and therapy appointments, but it was a lot of work for her. She

couldn’t carry on a full- time teaching job due to his hospitalizations, home visits from social workers,

suspensions because of fights, and the exhaustion of taking care of a disabled child at home, so she

became a substitute teacher instead because the job was more flexible. His father still has a tough time

dealing with his illness as he has trouble with understanding mental illness and the patience and sympathy

involved in taking care of a troubled child.

He is currently coping with medication and therapy, but he still struggles with social skills and

changes in moods. He can be very argumentative with his parents, which causes family rifts. An effective

coping skill he has learned is to keep a rubber band around his wrist and snap on it when he feels anxious.

He also uses deep breathing and grounding techniques. He is still working on social skills with his

therapist in order to ease family tension and make him a better student.
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Patient Interview

Communication Evaluation

Going into the interview, I was a little nervous to talk with someone about having a mental

illness. Although I have spoken with AJ’s mother many times, I have not spoken with AJ himself very

often. I knew he had bipolar disorder only because his mother was very open. I knew that mental illness

and its feelings of pain and isolation can often be difficult to discuss with someone, but he seemed to be

willing to talk about his history. I interviewed him in his home while his parents were at work to ensure

privacy and to reduce his anxieties. However nervous I was at first, I was quick to relate to him and eased

comfortably into the conversation. It also seemed as if interviewing him in his home, which was familiar

to the both of us, helped us both relax and have an effective conversation.

The most important strategy to implement was active listening. Showing him I cared through

body language such as nodding and a straight posture was imperative. This allowed him to ease into the

conversation himself and answer my questions more enthusiastically. Using clarification allowed me to

go back to topics to make sure I had all the full, correct information, and reflecting his answers with what

I believed his emotions to be allowed me to further understand his feelings towards his own mental health

history and the impact it had on his friends and family. I felt as if these devices were critical due to the

subjective nature of mental health, and I did not want to misunderstand his emotions.

AJ seemed to be very receptive of the interview process. Following the interview, he thanked me

for being nonjudgmental as many people often thought of him as a danger to society or a bad person, even

including teachers, social workers, and healthcare professionals. He felt as if my body language assured

him that I was listening to every word I said. He was hesitant to admit my weaknesses; however, within

my own self evaluation I realized my own flaws. I was still very soft-spoken, as I noticed I would

sometimes have to repeat questions for him to hear. Whereas AJ scored me relatively high, I understand

that I could improve my communication skills by matching the volume and level of eye contact of my

patient. Eye contact is something I have always struggled with, coming from a family that did not practice

making eye contact during conversations. However, I recognize its importance in conveying active

listening to a patient, and I hope to improve on it in the future.

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Patient Interview

Standardized Patient Evaluation

Course: N505 Fundamentals of Nursing Semester: Fall 2019

Standardized Patient: AJ Date: 10/12/19

Provider’s Name (Student): Gelsey Jian

Opening No Yes

Did the provider (student) :

1. Introduce themselves and ask you to identify X
yourself?
2. State her/his role in this encounter? X

3. Inform you of the duration of the visit? X

4. State the purpose of the visit? X

5. Present a professional appearance?* X

*A neat, clean appearance, modest attired, no jeans, no scrubs, no athletic footwear, nametag visible,
and white lab coat.

Verbal Skills Not done Poorly Adequate Well done Very

at all done most of skillful at
How well did the provider (student):
the time all times
1. Use vocabulary at your level X
of understanding?
2. Ask clear, well-articulated X
questions?
3. Actively and attentively listen X
to your concerns?
4. Use open-ended questions X
most of the time and more
directive questions as
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Patient Interview

indicated?
5. Allow sufficient time for a X
response before speaking?
6. Explore in depth your medical X
concerns?
7. Explore relevant psychosocial X
concerns?
8. Discuss referrals to other X
healthcare providers?

Para Verbal Skills Not done Poorly Adequate Well done Very
at all done most of skillful at
How well did the provider (student):
the time all times
1. Convey a sensitive and caring X
attitude?
2. Use a clear voice that was X
easily understood, including
volume and rate of speech?

Nonverbal Skills Not done Poorly Adequate Well done Very

at all done most of skillful at
How well did the provider (student):
the time all times
1. Make comfortable eye X
contact with you, attentive
but with pauses?
2. Display a range of facial X
expressions consistent with
the content of speech?
3. Display an open, relaxed, and X
receptive posture?
4. Maintain appropriate X
physical proximity to the
patient and observe
boundaries?

Satisfaction Not done Poorly Adequate Well done Very

at all done most of skillful at
the time all times
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Patient Interview

1. Did the provider appear X

genuinely interested in your
problems and concerns?
2. Did the provider convey X
respect, kindness, and a
nonjudgmental attitude?
Definitely Probably Maybe Probably Definitely
not not yes yes

3. Based on your overall level of X

satisfaction with the
provider, would you return to
them for another visit?