ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Demonstrates professional, appropriate, effective and tactful written, verbal, and nonverbal communication with patient, families, medical staff, colleagues, vendors, and other departments throughout the continuum of care to promote continuity of care and services and enhance hospital image. Appropriately establishes and reviews: plan of care, goals and priorities with team (including patient/family), treatment in response to changing patient needs, educational needs of patient/caregivers, and discharge plan/follow-up care needs.