Empathic Listening Discussion
Two experiential topics, each needing something done before it can be written. The evidence is what the other person said and what you saw, and neither can be sourced from a database.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 22, 2026
Both topics require doing something first
Both topics are experiential and neither can be answered from reading, which is the point and also the trap: a post that theorises about empathy has not done the assignment. For the first, the instruction is specific about sequence. You tell someone you are working on listening, then you ask them for feedback, then you report two things: how you did and how it made them feel. Those are different, and the second is the one usually skipped. Report what they actually said, including anything uncomfortable, because feedback that only confirms you are a good listener is either untrue or was not really asked for. Naming your own reaction to hearing it is worth including too. Choose the person deliberately as well: someone who will tell you the truth rather than someone who will be kind, since the exercise only works if the feedback has some risk of being unwelcome.
The second topic asks you to remove the words and watch what remains, and specificity is again what makes it work. Write what you saw rather than what you concluded: posture and orientation, who leaned in and who angled away, gaze and how long it held, gestures, facial expression, proximity, and above all the timing, since interruptions, pauses and who yielded the floor are visible without sound. Then interpret cautiously, because that is what the topic is really teaching. Nonverbal signals are ambiguous, they vary by culture and by context, and folded arms means someone is cold at least as often as it means resistance. Say what you inferred and what would have disconfirmed it. Finish by connecting both topics to practice: with in-text citations as the brief asks, and with a concrete link to a clinical encounter where the same skills apply, such as a family conference where what is not said carries most of the meaning.
Likely learning objectives
- Complete an experiential task before writing about it.
- Report feedback honestly, including the uncomfortable parts.
- Describe nonverbal behaviour before interpreting it.
- Treat nonverbal interpretation as provisional and culturally variable.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
Share the concept of empathy with someone close to you. Tell him or her you want to work on really listening to others and ask for their feedback. How did you do?How did it make that person feel? Describe your experiences in this topic post. 500 words Topic #2, Watching to Listen When you have opportunities this week to watch people communicate, cover your ears for a few minutes and just watch. What emotions and messages are being communicated that may not come across in words alone? Please share your observations as your submission to this week’s Discussion Board Topic #2. 500 words and in text citations
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01An account of the conversation, including what you said and what they said.
- 02Both how you did and how it made that person feel.
- 03A description of an observed interaction with the sound removed.
- 04Specific nonverbal behaviours before any interpretation.
- 05A cautious interpretation with what would have disconfirmed it.
- 06In-text citations, and 500 words per topic.
The feedback conversation, then the silent observation
The conversation you had
Report how you raised it, what you asked and what they said back.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Feedback reported verbatim rather than summarised favourably.
How it landed on them
Describe the other person's experience, which is asked for separately.
What the assessor is likely looking for
The other person's feeling reported rather than assumed.
What you saw with the sound off
Record posture, gaze, gesture, proximity and turn-taking as observed.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A timing observation such as who yielded the floor.
What it might have meant
Interpret provisionally and name what would have changed your reading.
What the assessor is likely looking for
An acknowledged alternative explanation for a signal.
Back to the bedside
Connect both exercises to a clinical encounter where they apply.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A specific clinical situation rather than a general claim.
Where therapeutic communication is documented
Recommended databases
- NCBI Bookshelf
- PubMed Central
- APA
- University Library
Search sequence
- 1.Do both exercises before searching for anything.
- 2.Read a source on therapeutic communication to name what you did.
- 3.Look for evidence on nonverbal communication and its cultural variability.
- 4.Find one clinical study where listening quality affected an outcome.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Therapeutic Communication
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Therapeutic communication, for naming the techniques you used in the conversation.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION AND THE NURSE-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
Nursing: Mental Health and Community Concepts, NCBI Bookshelf · 2022
The nurse-client relationship, for the clinical application of both exercises.
Cultural Competence in the Care of Muslim Patients and Their Families
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Culturally competent care, for why nonverbal signals vary in meaning.
Delivering Patient-Centered Care With Respect to Patient Education and Health Literacy in Athletic Training Job Settings
PMC / National Library of Medicine · 2025
Patient education and communication, for the outcome link to listening quality.
AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024
Health literacy guidance, for checking understanding rather than assuming it.
Before you post to the Discussion Board
Common mistakes
- Writing about empathy instead of reporting the conversation you had.
- Reporting only how you did and omitting how the other person felt.
- Recording conclusions rather than observed behaviour in the second topic.
- Reading nonverbal signals as though they had fixed meanings.
- Posting without citations, which the brief requires for both topics.
Submission checklist
- Did you actually have the conversation before writing about it?
- Are both halves of the first question answered?
- Does the observation record behaviour before interpretation?
- Have you acknowledged the ambiguity of what you saw?
- Are there in-text citations in both topics?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.
Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.