Communication strategies used by an expert nurse

Individualization of care, or tailoring of care, involves taking into account the client's individuality, and allowing that individuality to determine interpersonal approaches and health-illness management actions (Cox, 1982). Cox's definition of tailoring was empirically supported in a study of three naturally occurring clinical encounters (Brown, 1992). The present analysis was conducted using the research methods of discourse analysis to further understand how the expert nurse in Brown's study used speech actions to enact tailoring. The nurse provided clients with explicit opportunities to introduce their issues, elicited descriptions of their daily lives, expressed personal regard for them, yet also assessed their clinical states. This discourse profile is unlike others reported in the literature and may be considered exemplary.