Interprofessional Ethics & Communication Workshop

Faculty/Staff Leader Summary

Students from the School of Health Professions and the Long School of Medicine participate in the Interprofessional Education Workshop. This session introduces basic concepts of empathic communication techniques, conflict management strategies, information about teams through TeamSTEPPS. The workshop utilizes Forum Theatre to work through a conflict scenario that commonly arises during patient care. A warm-up exercise, presentation that introduces Forum Theatre, empathic communication technique (NURSE) and conflict management skills (DESC, CUS, 2-challenge rule), opening scene – Forum Theatre, breakout, replay of the forum scenario, and debrief are parts of this workshop.

Learning Objectives:

1. Practice maintaining a climate of active listening, mutual respect, and patient-centered care during team interactions
2. Practice empathic communications skills such as “NURSE”
3. Practice conflict management skills including beginning from a nonjudgmental starting place, listening without preparing arguments, identifying shared interests
4. Practice using either the “two challenges” method or the DESC method from TeamSTEPPS to manage conflict
5. Define the shared and distinct bodies of knowledge and skills of professionals in healthcare—including physicians, occupational therapists, and physical therapists
6. Identify the role of teamwork and effective communication in promoting patient safety
7. IPEC Competencies: Interprofessional Communication, Roles and Responsibilities

IPEC Competency Domain(s)
Communication
Roles & Responsibilities
Teams & Teamwork
Values & Ethics

IPEC Sub-Competencies Targeted
TT2: Appreciate team members’ diverse experiences, expertise, cultures, positions, power, and roles towards improving team function.
TT3: Practice team reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
TT5: Apply interprofessional conflict management methods, including identifying conflict cause and addressing divergent perspectives.
TT6: Reflect on self and team performance to inform and improve team effectiveness.
TT8: Facilitate team coordination to achieve safe, effective care and health outcomes.
TT9: Operate from a shared framework that supports resiliency, well-being, safety, and efficacy.
VE3: Uphold the dignity, privacy, identity, and autonomy of persons while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of team-based care.
VE4: Value diversity, identities, cultures, and differences.
VE5: Value the expertise of health professionals and its impacts on team functions and health outcomes.
VE6: Collaborate with honesty and integrity while striving for health equity and improvements in health outcomes.
VE7: Practice trust, empathy, respect, and compassion with persons, caregivers, health professionals, and populations.
VE8: Apply high standards of ethical conduct and quality in contributions to team-based care.
VE9: Maintain competence in one’s own profession in order to contribute to interprofessional care.
VE10: Contribute to a just culture that fosters self-fulfillment, collegiality, and civility across the team.
RR1: Include the full scope of knowledge, skills, and attitudes of team members to provide care that is person-centered, safe, cost-effective, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable.
RR2: Collaborate with others within and outside of the health system to improve health outcomes.
RR3: Incorporate complementary expertise to meet health needs including the determinants of health.
RR4: Differentiate each team member’s role, scope of practice, and responsibility in promoting health outcomes.
RR5: Practice cultural humility in interprofessional teamwork.
C1: Communicate one’s roles and responsibilities clearly.
C2: Use communication tools, techniques, and technologies to enhance team function, well-being, and health outcomes.
C3: Communicate clearly with authenticity and cultural humility, avoiding discipline-specific terminology.
C4: Promote common understanding of shared goals.
C5: Practice active listening that encourages ideas and opinions of other team members.
C6: Use constructive feedback to connect, align, and accomplish team goals.
C7: Examine one’s position, power, role, unique experience, expertise, and culture towards improving communication and managing conflicts.