Background
Communication is at the root of safe, quality health and social care. Good communication builds relationships and trust, facilitates shared decision making, increases patient satisfaction and improves health outcomes. Poor communication can fracture relationships, contribute to mistakes and errors, increases treatment non-compliance and diminishes health outcomes. Poor communication costs money in time, treatments and care, complaints management and litigation outcomes. It also contributes to professional stress.
Northern Ireland Context
Advanced communication skills training courses have been running in NI since 2009, driven by strategic developments in cancer and palliative care. Of note, the NI Cancer Strategy (2022) sets out, in Action 53 that:
‘all health-care professionals who are expected to carry out sensitive communication must complete an advanced communication skills training programme’.
All HSC Trusts deliver a two-day advanced communication skills training course (Wilkinson Variant). Courses are delivered by 2 trained facilitators with six participants. Professional actors, trained in course methods, simulate the patient/relative/colleague role in role play. The courses are consistently positively evaluated and there is emerging evidence of longer-term impact on practice.
Who is the course for?
This course is relevant for senior health and social care professionals who undertake sensitive or complex discussions with patients and those important to them regardless of their disease/illness. However, as courses are currently being financially supported through NI Cancer Strategy funding, places are prioritised for professionals working in key groups in cancer and palliative care services in HSC Trusts and hospices across NI.
Advanced communication skills training is a mandatory requirement within peer review for core members of cancer care multi-disciplinary teams and is an essential criterion in many cancer and palliative care job descriptions.
Learning Outcomes
This course enables participants to:
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- explore optimal communication skills,
- examine approaches to structuring complex conversations,
- practise effective communication strategies in challenging scenarios in a safe environment, and
- reflect on and critically appraise their, and their fellow participants’ communication skills.
Teaching Methods
Drawing on learner-centred, experiential learning methods:
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- the importance of effective communication and core communication skills theory is revisited through presentations and discussions,
- strategies to structure communication in various scenarios are introduced through slides and demonstration videos,
- mandatory video recorded role play with an actor enables participants to practise communication skills, recognise their communication strengths and grow awareness of how facilitative communication skills and strategies can positively influence the outcomes of communication encounters.
For more information please contact:
Belfast HSC Trust: Rebecca Burns: Rebecca.Burns@belfasttrust.hscni.net
Northern HSC Trust: Fiona Gilmour: Fiona.Gilmour2@northerntrust.hscni.net
South Eastern HSC Trust: Lynda Bell: Lynda.Bell2@setrust.hscni.net
Southern HSC Trust: Clair Quin: Clair.Quin@southerntrust.hscni.net
Western HSC Trust: Emma King: Emma.King@westerntrust.hscni.net
Or
Regional ACST programme lead: Sharon McCloskey: Sharon.McCloskey@hscni.net