Effective Communication Documentation and vocal communication are the primary forms of communication in a nursing setting that is long-term (LTC). It is required of the nursing care staff and physicians to document all aspects of patient care. When documentation is considered to be effective, it provides a patient’s response to the care given as well as a legal record of the care. When one goes about documenting in this form it is considered to be written communication to those who will be providing care to the patient in the future. In the beginning of a nurse’s shift, a report is documented of the activities from the last shift of nurses verbally. Without this form of vocal communication between nurses, med techs, and CNAs would have read every chart to know what activities were performed by the nurses before them which is a very timely task. Documentation As mentioned in the previous paragraph, document provides a legal and tangible record of care. To keep track of the resident care and those outcomes the nursing facility uses many documents. Each patient has a file documenting important factors about the residents’ health, ranging from social history, dietary needs and lab results. This charts documents a complete and detailed look at the patient’s medical history and progression through treatment. MAR, which is the Medication Administration Record, is used to record times, dosage, and method of medication when it is given to the patient, this document is also used to relay any additional messages by any new physicians about changes to the medication. The med tech or nurse must immediately document the medicine they are administrating to the resident and the results that follow. ADL, which is the completion of daily tasks for each individual patient, is required to be documented during each shift. ADLs are personalized and conformed to each patients’