Develop advanced communication skills for independent practice

This course certificate is recognised as equivalent to the HST mandatory Mastering Communication course for those applying for the Specialist Division Register (SDR).

This course will help you develop advanced skills for effective communication as you advance in your career. It covers key areas for effective personal communication in the context of the wider healthcare communication culture and will enhance your communication skills in individual encounters with colleagues, patients and families, and the public.

This is a blended learning course, so it contains self-guided online content that you must complete and a virtual interactive tutorial you must attend. You will be required to complete all online aspects in advance of the tutorial.

You will learn about

• Focusing on your audience
• Creating understanding
• Communicating effectively within a multicultural environment

We will also explore effective questioning techniques, body language and listening, as well as managing conflict and challenging situations.

This course is for doctors who are not on a RCPI HST training scheme. If you are an RCPI HST Trainee, please click here to book on to your course.

What you will learn

On completion of this communication course you will be able to:

• Improve your communication techniques by focusing on your audience, reading body language, and checking for understanding
• Recognise the importance of sensitivity to diversity and understanding how cultural backgrounds impact on communication style
• Understand how to ask questions effectively and engage in active listening
• Recognise assertive behaviour when communicating and in conflict situations
• Identify the importance of communicating effectively with patients around sexual health
• Develop strategies for difficult communication and challenging situations, e.g. open disclosure

Course format

This is a blended learning course. It contains self-guided online content that you must complete in RCPI Brightspace before attending an interactive online tutorial via Zoom.

The time commitment is 1.5-hours of self-guided online work and a 2.5 hour virtual tutorial.

You can complete the online material in RCPI Brightspace in your own time. We run several virtual tutorials throughout the year.