VASQUEZ, PATRICIA ANNE C.

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

BSN 4B

WORKPLACE
EUPHEMISMS
Individuals utilize an assortment of phrases to articulate their thoughts and

ideas in social situations. Several of the terms, if uttered directly, are unpleasant,

rude, and humiliating – making communication ineffective. For this reason, Man

has devised euphemisms to avoid embarrassment or the sting of harsh words. In

human society, English euphemism is a linguistic phenomenon. It aids in the

facilitation of social interaction. Communicators may use euphemisms to speak to

a repulsive issue for two reasons: to lessen the threat to the addressee's face and

to minimize the hazard to their own. For instance, in a situation where one

member refuses to reach out and help with work, we can’t directly state “Don’t

just look, work with us” instead, it’s better to say, “We have a project proposal

scheduled to submit on Monday, can you assist us?”. In this manner, the recipient

of the message will not misunderstand the context of what was said. The essence

of Euphemism lies in the use of non-aggressive or harsh words or phrases in place

of insulting or harsh ones. It manipulates the meaning of the word or phrase that

aids in the development of positive communication. As a result, it's a common

way of expressing anything repulsive in our daily interactions.

In the context of healthcare, medical personnel is expected to show

empathy, concern, and responsibility when dealing with patients with various

medical conditions. Euphemisms play a different purpose in healthcare as they

express and present realities, concepts, and truths that elicit unpleasant feelings.

Euphemisms are used to name difficult medical pathologies and to give

unpleasant news in a descriptive and acceptable manner, such as cancer, poor

prognosis, and informing a patient's relatives of his or her death. It can be applied

to communicate with a patient so that they gain a better grasp of their illness

and have a less stressful experience. A healthcare practitioner (HCP) will need to

combine their openness and clarity in communicating with consideration of the

patient's experience and level of discomfort when choosing a language for a

sensitive healthcare conversation. When an HCP meets a patient and their family

for the first time, they may seek to build rapport with them. In this situation, a

euphemism is acceptable.
VASQUEZ, PATRICIA ANNE C. FEBRUARY 1, 2021

BSN 4B

WORKPLACE
EUPHEMISMS
The HCP can build on a mutual understanding of such terms through dialogue,

and eventually, communicate the crucial information on diagnosis and

management that they had planned. It allows for the transmission of unpleasant

news from the standpoint of the recipient. On other occasions, this type of

speech is required for communicating with terminally ill individuals in hospices

and children with a life-threatening sickness. Because of their age and condition,

these patients have a distinct vulnerability. The deliberate use of language

facilitates the achievement of the best possible outcome in diagnosis and

therapy.

Euphemisms are frequently employed in our everyday lives. No one could

attain greater communication without it. It has an impact on our daily

communication and allows us to converse in a more harmonic manner. In the

healthcare setting, careful consideration of several factors must be taken.

Aspects such as the intent or goal of the health care consultation will all play a

role in determining the appropriate terminology to be used with a patient and

their family during a discussion.