Fuller 1
Chiara Fuller
Megan Keaton
ENC2135-0007
28 July 2015
Healthcare as a Community
As an undergraduate nursing student here at Florida State University, I take a great
interest in the healthcare community as a whole. This semester, I endeavored on a research
journey to analyze the community of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH), a prominent
hospital in Tallahassee. In this essay, I will first analyze Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare as a
discourse community and then discuss the genres that they use to communicate externally and
within their group and how these genres interact with their community.
Introducing the community.
A discourse community is a group of people who share a set of skills, knowledge,
interests, or values (Swales). Alana Walker, a certified nursing assistant at Tallahassee Memorial,
and important part of the healthcare community, says that all of the members at her hospital
share “a passion for helping others and a desire to deliver quality treatment to patients who may
otherwise die.” A key attribute in a discourse community is specificity. The characteristics that
are aligned with a discourse community are their specific ways of distributing information to
members, specific genres used to further their aims, jargon (or lexis) specific to the community,
and a minimal degree of expertise specific to the community (Swales).
Fuller 2
The healthcare community exists to provide treatment to injured, diseased and dying
patients. Their purpose is to foster a caring environment for patients as they work toward health
and wellness. They do this by implementing clean, safe and efficient health practices as a unit.
There are various roles that need to be fulfilled in order for a healthcare community to function
and carry out its purposes. Each of these roles, no matter how small, requires a level of expertise
in order to function in the healthcare community.
Starting from the top are the doctors and surgeons. At Tallahassee Memorial, the doctors
function in the community to examine and diagnose. Patients come to them with health
complaints, and based on the person’s description of symptoms and their own physical and
auditory observations, the doctor decides what is wrong and provides a solution. It is the doctor’s
responsibility to inform the patient on the risks and benefits of anything they might to that could
interfere with their health (C.F. Donovan). Surgeons operate on patients to correct internal organ
issues and fix injuries, deformities, and diseases (Bureau of Labor Statistics). If a doctor
diagnoses something that could lead to permanent damage or that may be potentially fatal, for
instance kidney failure, he communicates the patient’s diagnostic results to the surgeon. Both
work to communicate potential risks and factors associated with both the disease and whatever
operation to the patient and help them decide what route they want to take towards treatment.
They also obtain information, such as vital signs and progressive condition of the patient from
nurses, and determine what further treatment, if any, needs to be administered.
While doctors and surgeons are a huge part of the diagnostic and treatment process,
registered nurses are equally important, if not more. They are the medium between doctors and
patients. Their job is to record patients’ medical histories, set up care plans as prescribed by the
doctor and to assist with letting patients know how to continue treatment once they are
Fuller 3
discharged from the hospital. Most registered nurses work in a team, overseeing licensed
practical nurses and certified nursing assistants in patient care. They play a huge role in
communication between the physician, the hospital and the patient.
One of the key communicators between nurse and patient are certified nursing assistants.
Certified nursing assistants function in the healthcare community to carry out delegated tasks
from the registered nurse. Nursing assistants have the most contact with patients. They are
responsible for bathing patients and cleaning their living quarters, they assist with bathroom use,
repositioning patients in bed and transporting them to different areas around the hospital, and
help with feeding if needed (Bureau of Labor Statistics). They observe any changes in a patient’s
condition and communicate it to the nurse via lab reports. Alana Walker says that as a certified
nursing assistant at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, she is the “main communicator to keep
patients moving efficiently without overlap, conflict, and/or discrepancies”.
Finally, the volunteers play an extremely important role in the healthcare community,
especially in Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. When help is short, it is beneficial to the
community to have someone who is willing to donate their time and effort to the patients out of
the kindness of their hearts. Volunteers at Tallahassee Memorial help in many areas of the
hospital, from the gift shop, to the childcare center, to rehab and neurology (Tallahassee
Memorial Healthcare Website). Tallahassee memorial has over three hundred volunteers
stationed in various departments of the hospital. They work directly with health professionals
and patients, alleviating the great workload that falls upon the hospitals community members,
says Walker. "Their help is very appreciated at Tallahassee Memorial, without our volunteers, I
have no idea what we would do."
Fuller 4
All of these roles and many more collaborate to create a functional community. In order
for members of any community to communicate efficiently with each other, it is important for
them to have a sort of language that they can understand quickly when speaking to one another.
In the healthcare field, they use many abbreviations and shortened versions of words. Examples
of lexis specific to the healthcare community, according to Walker, are “CVA,” which stands for
cerebrovascular accident, “afib” which means atrial fibrillation, and “RTA” – ready to admit.
“These shorthand words allow us to communicate very quickly, which is important in emergency
situations,” says Claudia Han, a registered nurse at Tallahassee Memorial. “Cerebrovascular
accident’ or ‘cardiovascular accident’ are quite a mouthful when you have someone on a
stretcher in front of you within minutes of their life." Using this jargon also helps them to
minimize confusion because of either stumbling over words or simply not being able to hear
what another person is saying (Han).
The Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare community involves an array of individuals, from
healthcare professionals and volunteers, to the patients that they care for and the families of these
patients. They communicate with members through bulletins, posters and signage, email, phone
calls, and brochures and handouts, using social media sporadically. Tallahassee Memorial also
reaches out to the general population of Tallahassee in a variety of ways including fundraisers
and other events that are geared towards bringing unity to the town. They attempt to reach out to
the general public, largely using social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as Instagram.
A closer look at the genre ecology of the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare community shows the
interrelations between each of the genres that they use and how they impact the community and
its members and non-members.
What are the genres implemented by members of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare?
Fuller 5
Many different genres are used by the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare community, to
communicate information to members, non-members, and both. Among the most used are: the
employee/volunteer applications (official), employee/volunteer handbooks (official), hospital
website (official), and social media (unofficial), phone calls, emails/text messages , and
posters/signage (Han).
The employment or volunteer application is the first genre that they use. It may seem like
nothing but a piece of paper that needs to be filled out, but it is much more than that. According
to Susan Seibert, there are antecedents, or "prerequisites" needed to be a part of any "community
of practice" as she calls it. All members must share and possess interpersonal skills, a good work
ethic and commitment to improve in all aspects of the healthcare practice (Seibert). The
information that is put into an application by an employment or volunteer candidate
communicates to the heads of Tallahassee Memorial human resources and volunteer services
whether or not that candidate meets the threshold requirements for joining the community set
forth by the hospital.
For example, if I were applying to an RN (registered nurse) position within the hospital,
and filled in 'cashier" under the Experience section, and 'high school diploma' under Education,
the people reviewing my application would understand that I was unfit for the position. The
information on my application would communicate that I lacked the minimum education
(Associate's degree) for the position, and had no relevant experience to the field that I was
pursuing. On the other hand, when I fill out an application that lists numerous health-related
internships and volunteer experiences, a Bachelor's degree in nursing, and skills related to my
field, that communicates to the employer that I am qualified for the position. Moreover, it tells
them that I would be highly capable of helping the Tallahassee Memorial community fulfill its
Fuller 6
purpose of achieving its number one goal of providing quality care to patients. The application
also communicates a lot to the candidate as well. By reading and answering questions on an
applications, candidates can get a feel for what attributes matter and are evaluated by the
employer or volunteer coordinator. If they are determined to be a part of the Tallahassee
Memorial Healthcare Community, they can strive to meet those expectations to ultimately
become a part of this community.
Once a person joins the healthcare community, either by being hired, or by becoming a
volunteer they are required to attend an orientation, which may be done in person or online, in
which they "learn the ropes" of the healthcare community, says Alice Baldwin, the secretary of
Human Resources. Candidates are expected to read them and understand the expectations that
they are operating under as members of this community. The Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare
employee handbook outlines what new members learn during orientation as well as
communicates to new hires and new volunteers the goals of the healthcare community, which,
upon entering the community, ultimately become their own goals as members.
The handbook is also a way for the leaders of the healthcare community to communicate
the mission and values of the hospital. "We want all of our employees and/or volunteers to
understand what we are trying to achieve, because we are a community, and we are here to give
back to an even bigger community, and it's important to us that every member understands that,"
says Alice Baldwin, the assistant manager of the human resources office at Tallahassee
Memorial. Additionally, the handbook includes a Patient Pledge, a Code of Ethics, and Job
Responsibilities section, each of which communicates the behavioral expectations associated
with the status as a member of the healthcare community. By reading this handbook, for instance,
I know that as an employee of Tallahassee Memorial, it is my responsibility to show up to work
Fuller 7
every day and on time, treat all patients with courtesy, respect, and compassion and keep patient
information confidential, and maintain a positive and comfortable environment for the patients
and my fellow members of the community.
However, the handbook does not function to relay all of the information that an employee
wants to know or must know (Alexander Heron, 126-7). It functions, as I previously stated, as an
outline. It is impossible for an employer to include every facet of information related to a
position in one handbook. So, the handbook is also used as a sort of catalyst for communication
between the person reading it and the heads of one department or other within the community.
For example, it may have a very brief description of the benefits that accompany the position
held, and then an asterisk at the bottom saying “*Contact the Benefits department for more
information” (Heron). This would cause the person wanting to learn more about the benefits
associated with their new job to email, call or speak with someone from the Benefits department,
thus initiating communication.
The next genre is the Tallahassee Memorial healthcare website. This website is the
primary medium for communication between the hospital, the members of its community and the
non-members. Because it is on the world-wide web, it is geared towards one audience: the world.
Given the large and diverse audience that the website must appeal to, it contains an onslaught of
information. The information is organized by labeled tabs, and then sub-categorized from there.
The home page contains news and events held by Tallahassee Memorial. From there you
can navigate to different tabs, which contain information for different categories of audiences,
from patients and visitors, to healthcare professionals. If I wanted to know what the services
were that they provided, I would roll my mouse over the services tab:
Fuller 8
Just the list that comes up by rolling over the tab communicates to me as a prospective patient
the services that this hospital provides.
To illustrate, if I were looking for cancer treatment, either for me or a loved one, I would
go to this site, hover over services, and click the designated link. This brings me to a page
labeled “Cancer Services at Tallahassee Memorial.” Here, I can find the cancer treatments and
support services that the hospital offers. I can also find branches within Tallahassee in
surroundings areas where I may be able to receive treatment. There is also information on the
types of cancer that the hospital treats as well as community reports that demonstrate the
effectiveness of cancer treatment on the community at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.
Moreover, this section can communicate a lot to a prospective employee of Tallahassee
Memorial. A person fresh out of college for instance, who has studied oncology and is looking
for a job. The community report included under this section would communicate to him the
impact of TMH’s cancer treatment methods as well as the information necessary to contact the
Fuller 9
cancer department in the hospital. I can look at this website and see that this hospital is either a
great fir for me, or a not so great one, depending on the values that I bring to the table.
Moving away from the services tab, let us discuss how the site specifically caters to the
informational needs of a health professional, or a volunteer, looking to obtain a position within
this company. One every page, in the right-hand corner, there is a small menu:
The “Careers” tab contains a wealth of information pertinent to obtaining a position
within. Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. As a newly graduated oncologist, I can watch a seven-
minute long video (yet another genre), titled “Working at TMH.” This video communicates the
values that Tallahassee Memorial embraces in an employee, as well as what it means to be a part
of the TMH community and what is expected of every member of this community. There is a
link to search engine, so that you can search for career opportunities within the hospital. There is
also an online application for every position that they offer.
The “Ways to Volunteer” tab contains the mission statement of the volunteer services
division of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. It has a section for the general requirements for
becoming a volunteer and entering the healthcare community, as well as the necessary steps to
take. As an aspiring volunteer of Tallahassee Memorial, this section communicates to me that I
Fuller 10
need to fill out an application, pass a background check and health screening, and attend
orientation and training to be able to join the volunteer community. I also know from reading this
section of the website that since I am in college, I must apply to the college volunteer group,
rather than the adult volunteer group, even though I am an adult. There is also a list of the
possible areas of the hospital that I will be helping out in, once I become a volunteer. The
website is the main medium of communication for non-members.
The healthcare community also uses social media to communicate with both members
and non-members. They use the websites Facebook and Twitter mainly for the same aim:
publicity. They also use Instagram, a social app used for photo-sharing. After “following” the
Twitter and Facebook pages for a period of two weeks, I observed many things.
First, the page posted daily on the Facebook page, while they posted less frequently for
Twitter. Some of what they posted were events directed towards communities within the
healthcare community at Tallahassee Memorial: such as the photograph displayed below that
was posted on Twitter:
Fuller 11
This particular post appeals to the community of patients under treatment for cancer. Its audience
is not necessarily only cancer patients within the hospital, however; it is meant to bring together
all victims of the disease in the community of Tallahassee as a whole, as well as their supporters
and benefactors, says Claudia Han. “The thing about community is that no one community can
really operate or stand on its own…a large support network is necessary for every community to
reach its goals, no matter how big they are.”
Other things that I noticed a lot of on the Facebook and Twitter profiles were health tips
and links. By clicking on the link in this Facebook post, for example, a member or non-member
can learn the risks associated with the use of a well-known over-the-counter drug – ibuprofen:
Fuller 12
These kinds of posts communicate to patients, non-patients, employees, and whoever else
takes a look at this post and similar ones, ways that can improve their health and “ ultimately
increase longevity of life,” says Han.
One thing that I found unique about the Facebook page during my observations though,
was the reviews by non-members of the healthcare community. Facebook allows the audience of
a page to interact with the page administrators by posting on the page’s timeline and by tagging
it in independent posts and photos (Facebook Help Center). Former patients can write reviews
and prospective patients and family members can read them to decide if it is the best choice for
themselves or their loved one to be treated.
Fuller 13
In this way, the social media that is employed by the hospital facilitates communication
between the non-members, such as patients, and members of Tallahassee Memorial. With
patients and former patients being able to voice their opinions and concerns about the hospital,
they are able to communicate to the members what they liked and didn’t like, as in the first post,
by Ms. Fultineer-Hopper. Striving to meet the needs of the patients, the members of the hospital
community will adjust their practices to ultimately achieve their goals of providing quality care
for patients. Furthermore, employees can communicate messages to patients through this
medium as well, which is the purpose of the second post by Ms. Cooper.
The other social media that is used by the hospital community to communicate with
members and non-members is Instagram. The first thing that I noticed about the Instagram
profile is that it was saturated with personality. Rather than publicity o advertising, they use
photographs on this app for emotional appeal – or pathos – which can create an emotional
response from the viewer (Braziller and Kleinfeld). Images like this are used to appeal
emotionally to a viewer.
Fuller 14
They are also used to show the audience that Tallahassee Memorial Has a history of patient care:
Claudia Han says that she follows both the Facebook page and Twitter profile that
Tallahassee Memorial has. “As a nurse, I consider it kind of my duty to make sure I follow all of
the news and events that are posted.
Word Count: 3216