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← Human and Social Services

HSS1030 Communication Skills For Health Professionals

Introductory · 1 credit · HRH - Health, Recreation, and Human Services

Description
Students develop the attitude, skills and knowledge to improve the effectiveness of their personal communication while providing health, recreation, volunteer and/or support services in the community.
Prerequisite
None
Supporting courses
HSS1010: Health Services Foundations

Outcomes The student will:

  • 1 demonstrate basic principles of effective person-to-person communication in health care, volunteer, community support and recreation leadership settings

    • 1.1 describe the components of communication that affect how one understands a message, including:

      • 1.1.1 content of the message, including multiple meanings of words

      • 1.1.2 how the message is communicated, including tone, volume and form

      • 1.1.3 behaviours that accompany words

      • 1.1.4 contextual or environmental factors

    • 1.2 describe types of communication using examples, including:

      • 1.2.1 verbal

      • 1.2.2 nonverbal

      • 1.2.3 written

    • 1.3 describe the following skills for effective communication, including the purpose of each skill in the context of a helping relationship:

      • 1.3.1 attending nonverbally

      • 1.3.2 observing

      • 1.3.3 active listening

      • 1.3.4 attending verbally

      • 1.3.5 attending environmentally

      • 1.3.6 responding effectively

    • 1.4 demonstrate respectful communication representing different helping relationships, considering choice, dignity and privacy

    • 1.5 describe the following types of responding skills, including the purpose of each skill in the context of a helping relationship:

      • 1.5.1 responding to content

      • 1.5.2 responding to feeling

      • 1.5.3 responding to meaning

      • 1.5.4 giving effective feedback

    • 1.6 compare differences in verbal and nonverbal communication related to age, gender and culture, as well as other factors such as disability and education, describing how differences can impact helping relationships; e.g., eye contact, physical touch, rate, volume and tone of speech, body language, gestures, facial expression

    • 1.7 describe communication strategies commonly used by nonverbal individuals in community and health-care settings

    • 1.8 describe the importance of personal deportment in the establishment of an effective helping relationship, including:

      • 1.8.1 grooming and hygiene

      • 1.8.2 courtesy, including punctuality

      • 1.8.3 organization for meetings and activities

      • 1.8.4 respectful, appropriate humour

    • 1.9 describe the importance of core interpersonal qualities to the effectiveness of communication in a helping relationship, including:

      • 1.9.1 accurate empathy

      • 1.9.2 respect and communication of caring

      • 1.9.3 concreteness

      • 1.9.4 genuineness

      • 1.9.5 humility

      • 1.9.6 immediacy

    • 1.10 assess personal level of core interpersonal qualities necessary for effective communication in a helping relationship

    • 1.11 assess personal beliefs and attitudes about communication that are related to cultural diversity and to disability

  • 2 demonstrate effective attending skills for various community and health care settings

    • 2.1 demonstrate effective nonverbal communication, including:

      • 2.1.1 SOFTEN (smile, open, lean forward, touch, eye contact, nod)

      • 2.1.2 avoiding distractions (distracting movements, thoughts, distractions in environment)

      • 2.1.3 maintaining an effective distance based on context

      • 2.1.4 facial expressions

      • 2.1.5 tone of voice

      • 2.1.6 discernment about amount of physical contact

    • 2.2 demonstrate effective observing techniques for effective communication, including skills for:

      • 2.2.1 observing energy level

      • 2.2.2 observing mood

      • 2.2.3 observing for congruence

    • 2.3 demonstrate effective skills for building rapport and trust, including the following:

      • 2.3.1 verbal attending, including attending to physical, intellectual and emotional needs

      • 2.3.2 verbal attending opportunities to acknowledge an individual

      • 2.3.3 attending to the other person’s environment and physical space

    • 2.4 demonstrate four zones of physical space based on social context (when and who is involved in communication), including:

      • 2.4.1 intimate zone (0 to 2 feet)

      • 2.4.2 personal zone (2 to 4 feet)

      • 2.4.3 social or work zone (4 to 12 feet)

      • 2.4.4 public zone (more than 12 feet)

    • 2.5 demonstrate active listening skills, including the following:

      • 2.5.1 monitor volume, rate and tone of voice, including changes during delivery

      • 2.5.2 remember content of the speaker’s message

      • 2.5.3 identify words that are stressed in a message

      • 2.5.4 identify possible personal value judgments to avoid

      • 2.5.5 control internal distractions, including judgments about the message

      • 2.5.6 ignore external distractions

      • 2.5.7 never listen and talk at the same time

    • 2.6 differentiate active listening from listening

  • 3 evaluate effective responding skills for various community and health care settings

    • 3.1 demonstrate effective responding skills as a way to communicate empathy

    • 3.2 describe when to use responding to content, responding to feeling and responding to meaning in a relationship and/or conversation

    • 3.3 categorize several feelings as high, medium and low intensity

    • 3.4 demonstrate types of effective responding skills (to content, feeling and meaning), including:

      • 3.4.1 making minimal verbal response

      • 3.4.2 restating or paraphrasing versus parroting

      • 3.4.3 empathetic reflecting responses

      • 3.4.4 probing or clarifying responses (questioning)

      • 3.4.5 encouraging or reinforcing responses

      • 3.4.6 summarizing response

    • 3.5 explain when to use informing responses and self-disclosure responses, considering:

      • 3.5.1 timing in the conversation

      • 3.5.2 appropriate and inappropriate levels of self-disclosure

    • 3.6 examine the impact of “high risk” responses; e.g., giving orders, giving advice, moralizing, condescending, diverting, sarcasm, criticizing, threatening, analyzing, debating

  • 4 demonstrate the principles of effective questioning (clarifying responses) and feedback techniques for various community and health care settings

    • 4.1 demonstrate examples of effective questioning as part of an interchangeable response

    • 4.2 differentiate among types of questioning, including:

      • 4.2.1 open-ended questions

      • 4.2.2 closed-ended questions

      • 4.2.3 direct questions

      • 4.2.4 hypothetical questions

      • 4.2.5 counterfeit or loaded questions

    • 4.3 justify the use of different types of questions based on context

    • 4.4 demonstrate effective questioning using open-ended questions, explaining the:

      • 4.4.1 purpose of open-ended questions

      • 4.4.2 effective timing of open-ended questions

    • 4.5 demonstrate effective questioning using direct questions, explaining the:

      • 4.5.1 purpose of direct questioning

      • 4.5.2 effective timing of direct questioning

    • 4.6 demonstrate effective questioning using closed-ended and hypothetical questions in order to:

      • 4.6.1 provide opportunity for choice

      • 4.6.2 open doors for negotiation and further conversation

    • 4.7 describe situations in which feedback may be effective or ineffective

    • 4.8 demonstrate giving effective feedback in a conversation, focusing on:

      • 4.8.1 timing

      • 4.8.2 strengths of the other person

      • 4.8.3 revealing inconsistencies in the message after attempting several types of active listening responses

  • 5 demonstrate basic competencies

    • 5.1 demonstrate fundamental skills to:

      • 5.1.1 communicate

      • 5.1.2 manage information

      • 5.1.3 use numbers

      • 5.1.4 think and solve problems

    • 5.2 demonstrate personal management skills to:

      • 5.2.1 demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviours

      • 5.2.2 be responsible

      • 5.2.3 be adaptable

      • 5.2.4 learn continuously

      • 5.2.5 work safely

    • 5.3 demonstrate teamwork skills to:

      • 5.3.1 work with others

      • 5.3.2 participate in projects and tasks

  • 6 make personal connections to the cluster content and processes to inform possible pathway choices

    • 6.1 complete/update a personal inventory; e.g., interests, values, beliefs, resources, prior learning and experiences

    • 6.2 create a connection between a personal inventory and occupational choices

Program of Studies 2010. Source document, © Alberta Education.