8. Clarifying If the nurse has not understood the meaning of what the patient has said, she clarifies immediately. She can use such phrases as “I’m not sure I follow…” or “Are you using this word to mean…” to request that the patient make his meaning clear to her. In seeking immediate clarification when she is in doubt as to the patient’s meaning, the nurse can prevent misunderstanding from hindering communication, also, because her efforts in clarifying will demonstrate her continued interest in what the patient is saying, the use of this technique can help motivate him to go on. Because meaningful communication depends greatly upon the extent to which the persons involved understand clearly what each has said, the nurse should not hesitate to interrupt the patient if there is any confusion in her mind about his meaning. She might say, “Before you go on, I want to understand what you meant by…” Also, the nurse should clarify identities, such as ambiguous “he” or “they”. In addition, to enable the patient to best understand her, the nurse should avoid the use of medical terminology or jargon whenever possible, and attempt to express herself in such manner appropriate to the patient’s apparent level of understanding.