Discussion Post #2

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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CJ 140

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Communications

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by MasterFishMaster1092

Discussion Post #2: Make Your Case Title: The Officer’s Choice of Communication Style Was Inappropriate Hello Class and Professor! I hope all is well! In this video I have to be honest, I became very upset at the officer and even the lieutenant for how they were treating that nurse. Whenever I see these kinds of things from anyone but especially police officers it irks me to no end. Therefore, I am standing firm that the officer’s communication throughout the whole video got progressively worse. The time in the video leading up to the arrest I noted that the officer seemed aggressive and was communicating directly with hints of blaming throughout. In the beginning, I saw the blaming portion when the officer told the nurse ( this is how I interrupted his tone and words) that if the nurse didn’t do exactly what he wanted, he would arrest her, and it would be her fault for not listening. That is almost a textbook example of the blaming communication style. I saw the directive communication style only in the beginning and middle. When the officer was clearly stating his demands and where those demands were coming from. Along with how he answered the nurse’s question “Is the patient under arrest?” In this case, I believe the officer answered correctly, using a direct tone and answering clearly and concisely. As for non-verbal components, it is hard to see the officer’s body language since the camera is on his body, but I did notice that towards the beginning when the nurse was trying to persuade the officer to “cut corners”, he moved in, and she seemed to take a step back and then proceeding to exit herself from the officer’s presence by going to the computer and towards the middle of the hallway. This could show that the officer, at that time, was trying to understand the nurse better by leaning in and showing that he was listening to her. As for how he controlled the situation, I think the uniform and another officer showing up showcased they had control over the situation. Our textbook for this class discussed how ineffective blaming is in almost every circumstance and should only be used if all other communication styles have been exhausted (Grubb & Hemby, 2019). In the video, we see that the officer has tried no other communication styles but the directive approach and the blaming approach. The blaming communication style automatically puts someone in a defensive mindset, which is never good when one is trying to solve a problem. In the officer used the blaming technique he made the nurse uncomfortable with him, almost instantly. This is showcased by her words when she says, “I do not feel safe,” but how she never stayed close to the officer for more than a few seconds or a needed amount of time. Even when she showed the officer the hospital’s policy, which the police department had agreed to (most likely noted by a signature but the video is not clear enough for the audience to see) before she was violently arrested. She almost stayed an awkward distance away from the officer, because of how uncomfortable she felt with him in her personal space. To wrap up, unfortunately, since humans are imperfect beings that means so are police officers. Meaning, that officers (like this one) are bound to make mistakes. Understanding that, I brainstormed some various ideas for how the officer could have handled this differently. First off, I believe that the officer was not the right fit for the call. After a conflict

arose, the conflict being the nurse saying she refused to take the officer to the patient without a warrant, I think a female officer would have made the nurse much more comfortable. Rather than this officer, who seemed to tower over her. I also think some new eyes on the situation would have made this go over a lot smoother. What I see happened was the officer felt ignored or disrespected, and therefore carried that mindset throughout the interaction. A new officer dealing with it could have allowed this officer to move on, instead of taking his emotions out on the nurse who was just trying to follow the hospital's legal policy. But if a female officer were unavailable. I think this officer should have recognized how he was feeling, calmed himself down, and allowed the nurse to look up the policy, without sighing and what I imagine to be an annoyed look. I base the annoyed look off of his tone when he was speaking with the other officer, The officer with the body cam, seemed very annoyed and like he was continuing to get worked up. In checking his emotions, he could have taken a walk, maybe just down the hallway or in the back area. Since the situation was under control with other witnesses, another officer present, and what looked to be a security guard, the situation was under control. The officer could have taken a moment to refresh so he would actively listen to the nurse if she came back with any new information. Lastly, I do not think this interaction demanded the violent arrest that happened. Multiple people and the nurse seemed startled, even the other officers’ faces showcased some type of “what the heck?” I do not believe the nurse needed to be arrested at all because as we saw with the copy of the policy, the only way she can allow law enforcement to draw blood is if they have a warrant, the patient can consent, or if the patient is under arrest. But the officer felt she needed to be arrested because “she told him no.” So, since the officer felt that way, he should have calmly placed her under arrest or asked someone else to do it. He could have said “I am placing you under arrest for obstruction of justice”, or “My partner (enter name), is going to place you under arrest for obstruction of justice, and he will then place you in a car where we will wait for either your admins or my lieutenant.” I think that either of those statements if said calmly, would have dramatically changed the emotional charged-ness of this situation. Resources Grubb, R. E., & Hemby, K. V. (2019). Communication: Words Are Not Enough. In Effective communication in criminal justice (pp. 2–28). essay, SAGE Publications, Inc. Orenbus. (2017). Rare Full Video: Utah Nurse Arrest - Jeff Payne Body Cam (30+ min) [YouTube Video]. In YouTube . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Piuenvb-Zg

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Discussion Post #2

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