General
- When patients are culturally different from the nurse, the physical exam may require additional time because of language differences, increased sensitivity to exposure, observation and palpation of body parts, and the proximity of the nurse to the patient.
- Be aware of nonverbal communication during the examination. Avoid sudden moves, extreme facial gestures, and hurried mannerisms, all of which may heighten intimidations, embarrassment, fear, insecurity, and lack of trust during the examination.
- If a language interpreter is necessary, speak to the patient rather than to the interpreter; doing so enables the patient to "read" the nurse's nonverbal language.
- Avoid using metaphors and idioms unless the nurse is knowledgeable regarding language variations.