English for Nurses-STIKES GUNA BANGSA YOGYAKARTA

UNIT 2
GIVING INSTRUCTION

Vocabulary

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English for Nurses-STIKES GUNA BANGSA YOGYAKARTA

Language Focus on Giving Instruction

1. Translate these expressions into Bahasa Indonesia

2. Which instructions (1-8) from Exercise 1 can you use with the following equipment?

3. Use following expression to give instructions to the patients

It’s time for me … to measure your blood pressure

I just want … to count your pulse
I would like to check your respiration
I am going … to measure your temperature
to put this cuff (around your upper arm)
to insert this (thermometer) into your armpit
to put this (thermometer) into your mouth

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English for Nurses-STIKES GUNA BANGSA YOGYAKARTA

4. You can also use these expression to ask the patients to do something
Would you … lie down on the couch
Would you mind+ V-ing..please lie flat on the bed
Now, I want you to… roll your sleeve up
give me your right/left hand raise your arm
take a deep breath breathe in …
breathe out
roll yourself into side lying position

Grammar Focus on Giving Instructions

We need to be able to give instructions clearly to our patients or to other health care professionals to
be able to provide the best possible care.
1. To tell somebody what to do, you can use the Imperative. Start the sentence with a verb
without a subject.
Check for signs of circulation
Apply the pads to his chest
2. To tell what not to do, add Don’t before the imperative
Don’t remove burnt clothing
3. To emphasize that is important, you can use Make sure …
Make sure the wound is clean.
Make sure you don’t touch his body.
4. When asking for instructions, you can use the Present Simple, have to, shall and should.
What do I do now?
Do I have to immobilize his leg?
Shall I take off the dressing now?
What dosage should I give him?
5. Use Can or Could to give more polite instruction.
Can you move aside, please?
Could you take a deep breath, please?

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English for Nurses-STIKES GUNA BANGSA YOGYAKARTA

Exercise 1 Match the beginnings and endings of the sentence.

1. Check that a. I count up to between breaths?
2. Make sure you b. I give her?
3. What do c. have to apply the pads?
4. Don’t let d. the patient is breathing.
5. Should I e. the patient try to stand up
6. Shall I bandage f. put the burnt area under running wa
7. Don’t g. the patient’s pulse
8. What dosage shall h. tie the bandage too tight!
9. Take i. the wound now?
10. Where do I j. use a sterile needle

Speaking Activity
Choose one picture then, make a short conversation about giving an appropriate instructions.

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