Effective Strategies for Advanced Communication

Key information

Duration

The module runs from January to March, with the summative assignment submitted for marking in June.

Delivery type

Face-to-face

Delivery style

The module combines theory with experiential learning, giving you the opportunity to explore evidence-based approaches to effective communication and put those skills into practice.

A key part of the module is the opportunity to bring a challenging communication situation from your own workplace. An actor is briefed to recreate the situation, allowing you to practise different approaches in a realistic but supportive environment. You will then reflect on and critique your own communication in practice, helping you understand both how different techniques feel to use and the impact they can have on the person you are communicating with.

Experience level

Advanced.

The module can be taken as part of a Master’s programme or as a standalone module.

Course overview

Communication is a core clinical skill and an integral part of everyday healthcare and social care practice. From supporting patients and families through emotionally difficult situations to communicating with colleagues and navigating challenging conversations, the way we communicate can have a significant impact on the people around us and on our own professional practice.

Effective Strategies for Advanced Communication is designed to help you critically analyse the way you communicate and develop advanced, evidence-based approaches that can make a meaningful difference in practice.

Throughout the module, you will explore the theory behind effective communication before having the opportunity to apply your learning to realistic situations drawn directly from your own workplace. This combination of theory, practice and critical reflection helps you develop skills that can be transferred back into your role and used throughout your career.

Challenging conversations can also carry an emotional toll for healthcare professionals. The module therefore considers not only how advanced communication skills can help you better support patients, families and colleagues, but also how they can contribute to your own resilience when navigating emotionally demanding conversations.

What to expect

The module will give you the opportunity to critically analyse your existing communication practice and explore evidence-based theory that has been shown to support effective change.

You will consider challenging and emotionally difficult conversations and develop advanced communication approaches that can help you support patients, their families and colleagues more effectively, while also considering your own resilience and wellbeing.

Importantly, you will have the opportunity to put your learning into practice. You will bring a challenging situation from your own workplace and work with an actor who is briefed to recreate that scenario. This provides an opportunity to try different communication techniques, experience their impact and critically reflect on your own practice.

The emphasis is on practising and experiencing communication skills, rather than simply learning the theory behind them. By experiencing how different approaches affect both you and the person you are communicating with, you can develop greater confidence in using those skills when you return to practice.

Who is it for?

Effective Strategies for Advanced Communication is suitable for healthcare and social care professionals who want to advance their communication practice.

It is not limited to professionals working within cancer care. The communication skills explored throughout the module are transferable and can be applied across healthcare and social care settings.

The module may be particularly valuable if your role involves challenging or emotionally complex conversations with patients, families or colleagues and you would like to develop greater confidence and resilience in managing these situations.

It can be studied as part of a Master’s programme or taken as a standalone module.