Communication Skills for Junior & Middle Grade Doctors

It is well known that most complaints and litigation come from poor communication process. Equally, clinical mistakes stem from a lack of communication strategy and poor communication style contributes to most interpersonal conflict in the workplace. Wow, it's an important subject then? This course is a fast-paced, highly effective day on improving communication skills essential to junior doctors, handling patients, parents & relatives, delivering bad news, proper handovers, contributing on ward rounds and a wide variety of other situations where improved communication clarity is likely to lead to improve results and outcome. A very powerful course.

Content

• Understanding the communication process in the context of the junior doctor
• Where litigation & complaints come from
• Attributes of successful interpersonal communication
• Setting yourself communication goals
• Different communication styles and their impact on understanding, clarity, respect & harmony
• Effective peer & interpersonal communications
• Active listening skills for junior doctors
• Listening to patients, parents & relatives whilst making them feel their views are important
• Hearing beyond the words - identifying fear, feelings & emotions, not just facts
• Reflective feedback techniques to improve your understanding whilst acknowledging the communication
• Managing your emotions in stressful situations
• Having a communication plan in all scenarios
• Identifying & communication the key message or information with absolute clarity
• Delivering bad news competently - achieving understanding and acceptance
• Managing expectations in patients, parents & colleagues
• Dealing with unrealistic requests without causing incidents
• Saying sorry when you have made mistakes
• Body language & voice tone and their impact on the feelings you generate
• Effective ward round & case presentation skills
• Getting handover right - improving clinical continuity & understanding
• Phoning your consultant - planning, information and understanding
• Avoiding common communication pitfalls

Course type and teaching methods

With a huge volume to get through this is a fast-paced mixture of lectures, case studies & discussion, with some opportunity to practise too. Never a dull moment en route to transforiming your ability to communicate successfully.