scholarly journals “NOT My Issue!!!”: Teaching the Interpersonal Conflict Course

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 17-22
Author(s):  
Nancy Brule ◽  
Jessica Eckstein

Students who enroll in communication courses to improve their conflict management abilities should be provided with both an understanding of, and skills pertaining to, interpersonal conflict across diverse contexts. In this article, we offer pedagogical guidance for teaching the Interpersonal Conflict course. With an emphasis on building communication skills usable in a variety of real-life situations and settings, this article includes discussion of necessary foundational concepts and applied content areas, sample application assignments, and relevant considerations for those teaching the course.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisling Kerr ◽  
Judith Strawbridge ◽  
Caroline Kelleher ◽  
James Barlow ◽  
Clare Sullivan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Effective communication between pharmacists and patients is essential and improves health outcomes. Simulated patients (SPs) are trained to reproduce real-life situations and can help pharmacy students to develop and adapt their communication skills in a safe, learner-centred environment. The aim of this research was to explore how SP and pharmacy student role-play supports communication training. Methods A mixed methods realist evaluation approach was adopted to test an initial theory relating to SP role-play for pharmacy students. The intervention tested involved complex communication cases in a men’s and women’s health module in year three of a new MPharm programme. This SP session was the first such session, of the programme which exclusively focused on complex communication skills for the students. Data collected comprised video-recordings of both training and mock OSCE sessions, and from student focus groups. Communication videos were scored using the Explanation and Planning Scale (EPSCALE) tool. Scores from SP and mock OSCE sessions were compared using the Wilcoxon-signed rank test. Focus groups were conducted with students about their experience of the training and analysed thematically, through a realist lens. Data was analysed for Context-Mechanism-Outcome configurations to produce modified programme theories. Results Forty-six students (n = 46/59, 78 %) consented to their video-recorded interactions to be used. Students identified contextual factors relating to the timing within the course and the setting of the intervention, the debrief and student individual contexts. Mechanisms included authenticity, feedback, reflection, self-awareness and confidence. Negative responses included embarrassment and nervousness. They distinguished outcomes including increased awareness of communication style, more structured communication and increased comfort. However quantitative data showed a decrease (p < 0.001) in communication scores in the mock OSCE compared with scores from training sessions. Modified programme theories relating to SP training for pharmacy students were generated. Conclusions SP role-play is a valuable communication skills training approach. Emphasis should be placed on multiple stakeholder feedback and promotion of reflection. Time limits need to be considered in this context and adjusted to meet student needs, especially for students with lower levels of communication comfort and those communicating in languages different to their first language.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena A. Beitler ◽  
Sonja Scherer ◽  
Dieter Zapf

Previous research has illustrated that older workers have high emotional competence (EC) that could enable them to effectively manage interpersonal conflict. However, it is still unclear whether age, potentially via EC, also influences a variety of conflict management behaviors. To address this question, we present a systematic review of the literature on the direct relationships between age, EC, and conflict management, and on EC as a potential mediator. We classify conflict management behaviors using the dual concern model (e.g., De Dreu, Evers, Beersma, Kluwer, & Nauta, 2001), and identified 15 studies on age-related conflict management, and 14 studies on EC and conflict management. Unfortunately, we found that none of the previous studies examined EC as a mediator between age and conflict behaviors. Overall, our review does reveal a positive age trend for EC, avoiding, compromising, and problem-solving, and a negative age trend for forcing. Additionally, EC seems to be positively related to problem-solving, compromising, and yielding. We discuss potential moderators and the role of EC as a potential mediator.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefaly Shorey ◽  
Emily Ang ◽  
John Yap ◽  
Esperanza Debby Ng ◽  
Siew Tiang Lau ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The ability of nursing undergraduates to communicate effectively with health care providers, patients, and their family members is crucial to their nursing professions as these can affect patient outcomes. However, the traditional use of didactic lectures for communication skills training is ineffective, and the use of standardized patients is not time- or cost-effective. Given the abilities of virtual patients (VPs) to simulate interactive and authentic clinical scenarios in secured environments with unlimited training attempts, a virtual counseling application is an ideal platform for nursing students to hone their communication skills before their clinical postings. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop and test the use of VPs to better prepare nursing undergraduates for communicating with real-life patients, their family members, and other health care professionals during their clinical postings. METHODS The stages of the creation of VPs included preparation, design, and development, followed by a testing phase before the official implementation. An initial voice chatbot was trained using a natural language processing engine, Google Cloud’s Dialogflow, and was later visualized into a three-dimensional (3D) avatar form using Unity 3D. RESULTS The VPs included four case scenarios that were congruent with the nursing undergraduates’ semesters’ learning objectives: (1) assessing the pain experienced by a pregnant woman, (2) taking the history of a depressed patient, (3) escalating a bleeding episode of a postoperative patient to a physician, and (4) showing empathy to a stressed-out fellow final-year nursing student. Challenges arose in terms of content development, technological limitations, and expectations management, which can be resolved by contingency planning, open communication, constant program updates, refinement, and training. CONCLUSIONS The creation of VPs to assist in nursing students’ communication skills training may provide authentic learning environments that enhance students’ perceived self-efficacy and confidence in effective communication skills. However, given the infancy stage of this project, further refinement and constant enhancements are needed to train the VPs to simulate real-life conversations before the official implementation.


Author(s):  
Liesa Reitz ◽  
Aline Sohny ◽  
Gerrit Lochmann

The authors present a novel way of oral language training by embedding the English as a foreign language (EFL) learning process into a generic 3D Cooperative Virtual Reality (VR) Game. Due to lack of time, resources and innovation, the language classroom is limited in its possibilities of promoting authentic communication. Therefore, the researchers investigated how to induce a VR setting with information gaps, for which they designed a template which intrinsically promotes communication and the students' confidence in using EFL. Thereby, VR enables the simulation of real life situations, creating both comfortable and authentic training environments. The game content is based on the internationally approved Graded Examination in Spoken English (GESE) Trinity Exam and can be adapted to the needs of the learners or the given curricula. The empirical analysis shows that the designed game trains the students' communication skills, evoking a high amount of speech and a qualitative linguistic output.


Good communication skills form a fundamental principle of the patient- centred clinical consultation. The new Part 3 of the MRCOG, assesses candidates based on their ability to apply the core clinical skills in the context of real- life scenarios. It assesses five core skills domains, with three relating to communication skills; i) Communicating with patients and their families, ii) Communicating with colleagues and iii) Information gathering. Communication skills in the Part 3 clinical assessment can be assessed in many forms: … ● Exploring patient symptoms or concerns (information gathering) ● Explaining a diagnosis, investigation or treatment (information giving) ● Involving the patient in a decision (shared decision making) ● Health promoting activities ● Obtaining informed consent for a procedure ● Breaking bad news ● Communicating with relatives ● Communicating with other members of the health care team … In order to provide patient- centred care, doctors must treat their patients as partners, involving them in the decision making regarding their care and instilling in them a sense of responsibility for their own health. When the patient feels that they are part of the team it increases their satisfaction with care, increases treatment adherence and improves clinical outcomes. It is these skills that are assessed in clinical assessment tasks involving communication. Clinical assessment candidates are often assessed in two communication domains; Process and Content. In order to do well in the information gathering stations, you must be aware of the differential diagnoses that may arise with various presentations and how to explore each one independently and as a collection. When it comes to information giving or shared decision marking, candidates need to be familiar with the most recent Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology guidelines and know how to interpret their meaning to the patient and their families. The Calgary- Cambridge Model is one of the most recognized communication theories in medical education (Kurtz, 1996). This theory can be adapted to fit into most clinical scenarios. Using the Calgary- Cambridge Model, you should be able to obtain the majority of the points related to process.


Author(s):  
Meng-Shan Tsai

This chapter will help you to understand the important issues facing the Millennial Generation and their behavior in the workplace, understand the concepts of interpersonal relation and the viewpoints of the Millennial Generation, understand the contents of communication skills, communication models and communication styles, and understand how the Millennial Generation views conflict and conflict management.


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