Your tool for concise, thorough and sophisticated short responses. PEA Your tool for concise, thorough and sophisticated short responses.

Question When it came to Sarah Smith did the healthcare professionals in this situation show respect for the patient and her needs? How so or how not?

Two Possible Answers… (Did the healthcare professionals show respect for the individual patient and her needs?) No, they were disrespectful. A lot of the time she didn’t know what was going on and the staff wouldn’t tell her like when she called the office. In the case study of Sarah Smith, a frightened woman with a history of breast cancer, the healthcare professionals in charge of her care were not respectful of her needs and often left her in the dark. When Ms. Smith’s phone calls were repeatedly ignored, she had to drive to her physician’s office. Once there, the nurse handed her a copy of mammogram which said things like, “A 7.0mm nodular density in the superior aspect of the left breast is identified,” and then walked away. It seems obvious that a healthcare professional would value a patient’s emotional health as well as one’s physical health and be cognizant of the powerful position he/she is in as a caregiver, but Sarah Smith was let down in this regard again and again.

PEA Point: Answer the question in one sentence remembering that reader does not know what was asked. Evidence: Pull SPECIFIC textual evidence or details. Try to include a quotation. Remember, again, reader needs context Analysis: Analysis means original thinking. You will analyze the situation and come up with your own thought. Do not just repeat point. Lame! Do not use “I”, please. * If… then, often, it would seem, obviously…

What this looks like - In the case study of Sarah Smith, a frightened woman with a history of breast cancer, the healthcare professionals in charge of her care were not respectful of her needs and often left her in the dark. When Ms. Smith’s phone calls were repeatedly ignored, she had to drive to her physician’s office. Once there, the nurse handed her a copy of mammogram which said things like, “A 7.0mm nodular density in the superior aspect of the left breast is identified,” and then walked away. It seems obvious that a healthcare professional would value a patient’s emotional health as well as one’s physical health and be cognizant of the powerful position he/she is in as a caregiver, but Sarah Smith was let down in this regard again and again.

Requirements: Give the reader context in both point and evidence. They don’t need a book report, but they may not have read what you have read. Mention titles and authors, give a phrase or two of background information… Stay out of 1st person and 2nd person. Keep clear of “I, me, my, you.” Always. Keep it in 3rd person, please. Be specific, not general. Give details, explain. Make sure you end with original thinking.

Where can you use PEA? Tests, quizzes that require short answer Homework Job applications that ask you to write Professional emails Personal emails Verbally to sway arguments  Use PEA often, almost anywhere. Watch the results! Awesome!