Course Title: Apply communication skills in nursing practice

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2023

Course Code: NURS5411C

Course Title: Apply communication skills in nursing practice

Important Information:

Please note that this course will have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities.
To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption.
Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209.
Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus

Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance.

School: 535T Social Care and Health

Campus: Bundoora Campus

Program: C5417 - Diploma of Nursing

Course Contact: Rosemarie Russell

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 7478

Course Contact Email: rosemarie.russell@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 50

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

Nil

Course Description

In this course, you will learn the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to communicate effectively with people, families and carers, and with other healthcare professionals, in healthcare settings.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTENN036 Apply communication skills in nursing practice

Element:

1. Use effective communication strategies.

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Apply principles of effective communication to facilitate communications.

1.2. Maximise opportunities to involve the person, families and carers in care and treatment.

1.3. Clarify roles and responsibilities of the multidisciplinary health care team for effective communicating situations, including clarifying own role as an enrolled nurse.

1.4. Apply respectful and empathetic communication techniques.

1.5. Use contemporary health terminology in written and verbal communications.

Element:

2. Identify and address constraints to effective communication.

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Implement strategies within scope of practice to address communication situations in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

2.2. Identify and address the need for advocacy for the person, families and carers in care.

Element:

3. Use information technology to support communication in nursing practice.

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Use information technology to prepare, document and communicate nursing patient clinical records and reports to the multidisciplinary health care team.

3.2 Comply with organisation policy and procedures for electronic communication.

3.3 Use information technology including the internet to access data appropriate to own role and organisation policy and procedures.

 

3.4 Apply ethical principles and follow regulatory responsibilities when using social media and interacting online in nursing role.

 

3.5. Apply Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) social media guidelines to own practice.

3.6. Provide information in accordance with organisational policies and procedures to enable informed decision making.

Element:

4. Lead small group discussions.

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Monitor and respond to changing group dynamics.

 

4.2 Clarify purpose of group meetings and manage discussion to achieve identified objectives.

 

4.3 Implement meeting procedures appropriate to meeting purpose.

 

4.4 Clarify participant roles and use communication strategies to support their effective contribution to discussion.

 

Element:

5. Give and receive feedback for performance improvement.

Performance Criteria:

5.1. Apply communication strategies that deliver constructive outcomes in giving and receiving feedback.

5.2. Use language in a respectful manner to give and receive feedback.

5.3. Use constructive feedback to improve own professional performance.

Element:

6. Evaluate effectiveness of communication.

Performance Criteria:

6.1 Participate in debriefing sessions following communication of situations.

6.2. Evaluate, document and report outcomes of applied communication strategies.

Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements. 


Details of Learning Activities

The Learning activities are designed to align with the concepts discussed in the classroom time each week. These activities will provide you with skills, knowledge and attitudes required to perform to the standard expected in the health industry.

Learning activities include:

  • Lectures: introduce you to the key concepts within the course
  • Practical workshops: provide an opportunity to practice your skills in a simulated work environment/ classroom
  • Work placement: provides you with practical experience in a nursing workplace

 


Teaching Schedule

 City and Bundoora 2305(B23A, B23B, B23C & C23A, C23B groups)WeekLessonTopicAssessment / Learning activities
Week 1

Lesson 1

Introduction to communication

  • Communication in Healthcare
  • Therapeutic Communication 
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Active listening 
  • Interview techniques
  • Discussion Forum - introduce yourself
  • Learning Activity 1: Open or closed activity
Week 1

Lesson 2

Complex Communication 

  • Barriers to communication
  • Breaking bad news 
  • Communication with vision, hearing or cognitive impaired 
  • Advocacy 

 

  • Learning Activity 2: Overcoming cognitive impairment barriers 
  • Learning Activity 3: Interpreter

Week 2

Lesson 3
  • Documentation in health care
  • Legal and Ethical requirements
  • Open disclosure 
  • Learning Activity 4: Nursing documentation practice quiz
  • Learning Activity 5: Open Disclosure
  • Learning Activity 6: Privacy
Week 2

Lesson 4

Clinical Handover

  • ISOBAR

 

 
Week 3

Lesson 5

Feedback & Debriefing
  • Learning Activity 7: Know how others see you
  • Learning Activity 8: Group Dynamics
Week 3 Lesson 6

Information Technology & social media in healthcare

  • Social Media policy 
  • Confidentiality 
  • Medical Terminology 
  • Learning Activity 9: Nursing terms practice

 

 
Week 4

 

 

 

Assessment Task 1 - Knowledge Assessment

Assessment Task 2 - Practical Assessment Task
Clinical Placement    

Assessment Task 3 - Clinical Placement


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Important Information:

Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities.  

To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption.  

Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209.  

Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus  

  

Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance.  


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral/written presentations and through the application of learned skills and insights. Full assessment briefs will be provided and can be found on CANVAS.


Assessment Tasks

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including written, oral, practical tasks and activities.

You will be asked to personally demonstrate to your teacher/assessor the practical skills gained during this course to the relevant industry standards. Assessment activities will occur throughout this course and feedback will be provided at regular intervals.

The course requires you to gain Satisfactory result in 3 Assessment tasks to successfully complete this course. 

  • Assessment Task-1: Knowledge Assessment.

It has two parts- part A is comprised of multiple-choice questions and part B is short answer questions. This is an in-class assessment. 

  • Assessment Task-2: Practical lab Assessment.

You will need to perform a simulated role play of communicating a clinical handover to another health professional. 

  • Assessment Task-3: Clinical Placement.

This requires you to attend a clinical placement in allocated health care organization or facility. 


Assessment Matrix

Elements

Performance criteria

AT-1: Knowledge assessment

AT-2: Practical lab assessment

AT-3: Clinical Placement

1. Use effective communication strategies.

1.1

 

×

×

 

1.2

×

 

×

 

1.3

×

×

×

 

1.4

×

×

×

 

1.5

×

×

×

2. Identify and address constraints to effective communication.

2.1

×

 

×

 

2.2

×

 

×

3. Use information technology to support communication in nursing practice.

3.1

×

 

×

 

3.2

×

 

×

 

3.3

 

×

×

 

3.4

×

 

×

 

3.5

×

 

×

 

3.6

×

×

×

4. Lead small group discussions.

4.1

×

 

 

 

4.2

 

×

 

 

4.3

×

×

 

 

4.4

×

×

 

5. Give and receive feedback for performance improvement.

5.1

×

×

 

 

5.2

×

×

 

 

5.3

×

×

 

6. Evaluate effectiveness of communication.

6.1

×

×

×

 

6.2

 

×

×

Other Information

Please refer to the RMIT Student Page for extensive information about study support, assessments, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students

You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of work submitted in hard copy. For every piece of work submitted online, you will complete an e-Declaration. This cover sheet or e-Declaration acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications.

You must be competent in all elements to successfully complete the course

You are permitted to have a maximum of 2 re-submissions for each course, however each individual assessment may only be resubmitted once.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview