| Effective Term: | 2024/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Communication Skills for Health Professionals |
| Unit ID: | NHPRH1002 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 069999 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This introductory unit will enable students to gain a better understanding of the role of effective communication across health professions. It will identify enablers and barriers to effective communication and how these may affect our interaction with others. It will also introduce students to a range of communication techniques and strategies essential for the development and maintenance of workplace relationships and teamwork. These will enable effective interpersonal and therapeutic communication, including clear expression of ideas and views; concise and confident oral and written communication skills; and tailoring communication styles for specific audiences. The unit will be offered to health professions to promote inter-professional learning as required by the Health Professional’s Accreditation Standards and National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | |  | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| On successful completion of the unit the students are expected to be able to: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify effective communication strategies and techniques, including technology that can be used in and across health professions |
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| K2. | Discuss the enablers and barriers to effective communication and how it impacts our interaction with others |
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| K3. | Identify key aspects of effective public, interpersonal and therapeutic communication in various professional contexts |
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| K4. | Explain group processes and group dynamics essential for workplace teamwork interactions |
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| K5. | Explore cultural safety, intercultural and inclusive communication strategies in and across health professions while maintaining ethical considerations |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Establish self-awareness about personal communication strengths and weaknesses |
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| S2. | Develop empathetic questioning and active listening skills to break down barriers to effective communication |
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| S3. | Demonstrate effective academic, oral, and written communication skills appropriate for health professionals |
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| S4. | Exhibit digital literacy and e-documentation skills including health informatics |
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| S5. | Develop and assess graduate attributes and Professional Standards of Practice allocated to this unit |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Employ active listening techniques and effective questioning skills to enhance understanding and show empathy in interpersonal and therapeutic interactions |
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| A2. | Apply communication skills and adopt behaviours that enhance working relationships |
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| A3. | Utilise proven communication techniques and conflict resolution skills to deal with difficult situations in professional and health contexts |
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| A4. | Critically review and reflect upon personal and professional communication skills to promote strategies for ongoing development as a student and a health professional |
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| Unit Content: |
Communication Communication strategies and techniques Enablers and barriers to effective communication Language in context Communication technology etiquette, social media, health informatics, e-documentation Intercultural communication and cultural safety Inclusive communication NSQHS Standards especially Standard 6 on Communication Develop and assess graduate capabilities and Professional Standards of Practice allocated to this unit Interpersonal Communication Self-awareness and impact of our interactions with others Verbal and non-verbal communication Active listening and questioning skills Therapeutic and helping skills Empathy versus sympathy Ethical decision making in communication Active, passive, and aggressive communication and its impacts Interviewing skills Working with others and inter-professional skills Group processes and dynamics Effective group membership and leadership Teamwork Conflict resolution skills Negotiation & persuasion Networking and advocacy Maintaining professional health care relationships e-documentation, referral, and health informatics Inter and intra-professional communication strategies including ISBAR (Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation) Academic skills Public speaking Presentation skills Conflict resolution skills Critical thinking and reflective thinking Professional writing for a specific audience Digital literacy |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 2 - No |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | 80% Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | S/U Hurdle | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A2, A3, A4 | Recorded interview with simulated patient | Video | 30-50% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A2, A3, A4 | Communication infographic | Group, e-poster | 25-45% | | 4. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Reflection on personal communication strategy and group dynamic | Individual, written | 15-35% |
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