All Nursing Exams

What to say to patients and families in English

Use everyday words, such as "high blood pressure" for "hypertension", then check understanding with teach-back. Phrases for every bedside moment.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: Use plain, everyday words instead of medical terms, such as "high blood pressure" instead of "hypertension", and give one to three key points at a time. Then check understanding with teach-back: ask the patient to say in their own words what they need to know or do.

Each employer's policy and each regulator's standard decide what is required where you work; this page teaches language, not policy.

Plain language: what AHRQ and CDC say

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes plain language as communication that people understand the first time they read or hear it. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) gives this advice in its Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit:

  • Use plain, nonmedical words that you would use with friends or family outside health care. Avoid acronyms.
  • Notice the words the patient uses for their illness, and use the same words.
  • If the patient needs a medical term, ask whether they know it. If not, explain it simply.
  • Speak slowly and clearly.
  • Be specific. Give a number, such as "two out of 10 people", instead of a vague word like "few".
  • Get a qualified interpreter if the patient, or another person in the visit, wants to use a language other than English.

Why this matters: AHRQ, citing a 2003 study, says patients forget up to 80% of what they are told in office visits right away, and nearly half of what they remember is incorrect.

20 medical terms and the everyday words to use

These pairs are copied from AHRQ's "Plain Language Words" table and CDC's "Everyday Words for Public Health Communication" tool. Both full lists are free online.

Instead of Try Source
analgesic pain killer AHRQ
approximately about AHRQ
benign is not cancer AHRQ
chronic happens again and again, does not end, goes on for a long time AHRQ
discontinue drop, stop, end, quit, cancel AHRQ
dosage, dose amount, how much medicine to take AHRQ
exacerbate make worse AHRQ
febrile feverish AHRQ
inflammation redness, swelling AHRQ
injections shots AHRQ
intermittent off and on AHRQ
notify let us know, tell, call AHRQ
oral by mouth, swallow AHRQ
prior to before, earlier AHRQ
Hypertension High blood pressure CDC
Hypotension Low blood pressure CDC
Anxiety worry, fear CDC
Ingest swallow; take into the body CDC
Respiratory breathing; related to the nose, breathing tubes, and lungs CDC
Vaccine shot, protection against a disease CDC

Teach-back: check how well you explained

AHRQ describes teach-back as asking patients to state in their own words what they need to know or do about their health. AHRQ stresses that you are checking your own explanation, not testing the patient's memory.

  • Do not ask yes-or-no questions such as "Do you understand?" AHRQ notes that patients tend to say yes whether they understand or not.
  • Teach in small parts and check each part. Do not wait until the end.
  • If the answer shows a misunderstanding, explain it a different way and ask again.
  • If the patient repeats your exact words, they may not have understood.

One of AHRQ's suggested questions is: "When you get home, what will you tell your partner about this visit?" Other AHRQ examples start with you taking responsibility for the explanation. Lines of your own can follow that pattern:

  • "I want to be sure I explained this well. How will you take this medicine at home?"
  • "What will you do if your pain gets worse tonight?"

Phrases for common moments

Introducing yourself and checking identity

  • "Good morning. My name is (your name), and I am your nurse today."
  • "Can you tell me your full name and date of birth, please?"

Explaining a procedure

  • "I am going to put a small tube into a vein in your arm. You will feel a sharp pinch."
  • "It takes about 10 minutes. Tell me if you want me to stop."

Asking about pain

  • "From 0 to 10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine, how bad is your pain?"
  • "Where is the pain? Can you point to it?"
  • "What does it feel like: sharp, dull, burning or aching?"

Giving a medication

  • "This is metoprolol, your medicine for high blood pressure."
  • "Some people feel dizzy with this medicine. Please call me before you get out of bed."

When you do not know the answer

  • "That is a good question. I do not know, but I will find out and come back to you."
  • "Your doctor can answer that best. I will ask the doctor to talk with you."

An upset family member

  • "I can see you are worried. What is worrying you most?"
  • "I am sorry this is so hard. Here is what I can do now."
  • "Let's find a quiet place to talk."

Ending the conversation

  • "What questions do you have for me?"
  • "Press this button if you need me. I will check on you again in an hour."

What to do next

  1. Practice the everyday words for five medical terms you use daily.
  2. Use teach-back with one patient on every shift.
  3. For talking with the team, read SBAR: how to call a physician in English and Shift handover in English.

Common questions

How many points should I teach at one time?

AHRQ advises one to three key points about what the patient needs to know or do, repeated more than once.

What is the show-me method?

The patient shows you how they will do a task, such as using an inhaler. AHRQ describes it as a way to confirm the patient can follow the instructions.

Can a family member interpret for the patient?

AHRQ advises a qualified interpreter when a patient wants to use a language other than English. Your facility's policy sets how to request one.

English for Nurses is free. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team.

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