MSc Specialist Practice (Cancer) / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Effective strategies for advanced communication

Course unit fact file
Unit code NURS60092
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Variable teaching patterns
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This is a blended learning unit with a focus on awareness , attitudes, skills and emotions.   
 
The unit seeks to foster personal awareness when talking to patients and families and understand hoe this can benefit and compromise clinical encounters.   Students will explore all aspects of clinical communication, gain a thorough knowledge of the attitudes and behaviours required to communicate effectively in emotional encounters.   
 

Aims

Advance practice and service delivery through the enhancement of critical thinking and synthesis of a range of sources of evidence relevant to communication skills; 
 
Increase participant’s awareness of their own communication skills and to explore strategies to enhance their ability to elicit and respond to patients’ problems, worries and concerns and deal more effectively with challenging communication situations. 
 

Teaching and learning methods

  • Classroom based teaching (30 hours)
  • Simulation and role playing
  • E-Learning – seminars and structured forums, reflective and collaborative activities
  • Directed and self-directed learning
 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Critically consider the theoretical perspectives, concepts and frameworks of interpersonal and intra-personal communication skills
  • Engage in critical debate key issues and current practice with regard to effective communication in health care  
 

Intellectual skills

  • Formulate strategies to tailor and deliver complex information which meets the needs of patients and carers
  • Compare and evaluate one’s own and others communication skills
  • Critically evaluate how individuals cope with the information they are given and how that ‘coping’ affects subsequent behaviour
 

Practical skills

  • Discuss strategies which facilitate patients and families in expression of their concerns, fears and worries
  • Facilitate the giving of complex sensitive and challenging information in a compassionate manner to advance clinical practice
  • Devise effective communication strategies to build rapport and develop relationships with patients and carers, which are appropriate to complex situations
  • Develop a collaborative approach to planning communication strategies in practice
 

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Reflect on personal skills when interacting with patients, carers and families
  • Consider the difficulties of transferring learning into the workplace
  • Evaluate the need for professional support and clinical supervision
  • Formulate strategies to assess patients’ expressions of concern

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 100%

Feedback methods

Students will normally have the opportunity to receive feedback on formative work submitted prior to the summative assessment. Other feedback opportunities will also be available in class and online discussion boards. Online feedback is provided in Grademark. Provisional feedback based on internal marking will be made available prior to the Exam Board on the basis that these marks are yet to be ratified at the Exam Board and therefore may be subject to change. A standard feedback mechanism in Grademark is utilised across all postgraduate programmes within the School which provides detailed and constructive feedback on each component and aspect of assessment and identifies areas of strength and those aspects which could be enhanced.

Student feedback is obtained through open discussion forums on blackboard, in class discussions, via formal University unit evaluation forms and also qualitative, in house evaluations at the end of the unit. 

Recommended reading

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Seminars 30
Independent study hours
Independent study 120

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Alison Franklin Unit coordinator

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