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Unit of Study HLT10583 - Communication Skills for Health Sciences (2015)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Pre-requisites

    [HLT10582] Introduction to Occupational Therapy and Human Occupations OR [SPT10001] Introduction to the Speech Pathology Profession OR [PDT10001] Introduction to Podiatry and Pedorthics

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Introduces inter- and intrapersonal verbal and written communication skills for clinical and academic contexts and interdisciplinary collaboration. Communication theories are presented and basic counselling skills introduced. Cross cultural communication and the needs of clients with specific communication barriers will be examined. Collaboration with other professionals including interpreters, trans-cultural workers and community representatives will be highlighted.

Unit content

Topic 1: Introduction to communication theory
Topic 2: Verbal skills in client-centred communication
Topic 3: Nonverbal skills in client-centred communication
Topic 4: Written communication for the health professional
Topic 5: The Initial Interview
Topic 6: Ethics and communication - confidentiality, informed consent and professional boundaries
Topic 7: Barriers to communication - emotions
Topic 8: Barriers to communication - disability
Topic 9: Barriers to communication - culture
Topic 10: Assistive technology to enhance communication
Topic 11: Communication with children

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast Session 2 N/A

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 develop an understanding of the verbal and nonverbal communication skills required to establish initial rapport and effective communication with people
2 apply micro-skills (verbal and nonverbal) including active listening, closed and open questioning, reflecting, and summarising
3 demonstrate professional documentation skills
4 demonstrate an understanding of communication skills for working with clients with diverse communication needs
5 demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare beliefs and communication requirements of a person from a different cultural background
6 demonstrate appropriate professional behaviours when establishing and maintaining relationships in a clinical practice context
7 use reflective practice to enhance communication skills.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. develop an understanding of the verbal and nonverbal communication skills required to establish initial rapport and effective communication with people
    • GA6:
  2. apply micro-skills (verbal and nonverbal) including active listening, closed and open questioning, reflecting, and summarising
    • GA2:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
  3. demonstrate professional documentation skills
    • GA1:
    • GA6:
  4. demonstrate an understanding of communication skills for working with clients with diverse communication needs
    • GA2:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  5. demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare beliefs and communication requirements of a person from a different cultural background
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  6. demonstrate appropriate professional behaviours when establishing and maintaining relationships in a clinical practice context
    • GA6:
  7. use reflective practice to enhance communication skills.
    • GA2:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.