Communication Skills in Supportive and End of Life Care

This 20 credit Communication Skills in Supportive and End of Life Care module, available at level 6 or level 7, aims to develop your knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to communicate sensitively, effectively and in a purposeful manner with individuals and those close to them in the context of supportive and end of life care. This course is run in collaboration with the University of the West of England and our other clinical partners.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychosocial responses to acute and life limiting illness.
Demonstrate understanding of communication skills and approaches,with application to achieve best practice.
Critically analyse communication skills and support mechanisms usedin supporting individuals experiencing loss, change and psychosocial issues.
Critically evaluate evidence which informs learning regarding own communication processes.
Appraise and reflect upon own communication skills and the potential influence of such skills when supporting patient and family centred care in a range of complex situations.
Identify key communication skills, qualities and attributes that are significant in making an effective response to individual’s needs.

Course content

The module syllabus typically covers:

Overview of communication processes and theory, with practical application of communication skills – active listening, reflecting, paraphrasing, summarising and probing.
Psychosocial responses to acute and long term life threatening conditions including cultural perspectives
Approaches to support individuals experiencing emotions including anger and sadness
Barriers to listening, to include physical, professional, and personal perspectives
Recognition and assessment of information needs of those with life threatening conditions, their families and carers
Frameworks for sharing of significant and bad news
Communication skills within the context of multidisciplinary and inter-professional working
Ethical and professional Issues to include: boundary setting, consent and confidentiality, models for reflection and critical analysis of practice, and consideration of support/supervision.