A patient communication device for advanced patient communication and methods for making and using same. According to one embodiment, a patient communication device comprises a selection input mechanism for generating a message on a display, the message reflecting a patient request and an urgency level associated with the patient request. The selection input mechanism includes one or more of a button, keyboard and a touch screen. Further, the patient communication device includes a transmitter for transmitting the message to a central processing server and a status indicator on the display, the status indicator representing a transmission status associated with the message.
