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SOME ELEMENTS OF A SUBJECT OUTLINE

INCLUDED FOR REFERENCE

 

SUBJECT DESCRIPTION

Nursing is largely dependent on the quality of the relationships which are established and maintained between nurses and their patients, colleagues and others. This unit of study emphasises the importance of effective interpersonal communication in nursing practice.

The theory and skills of human interaction will be introduced and the nature of the nurse-patient relationship addressed. You will examine the processes involved in interpersonal communication, verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication and facilitators and barriers to communication. The unique nature of the nurse-patient relationship is addressed and the ways in which impaired health can influence the communication process are explored.

You will examine the importance of the self in the nurse-patient relationship and be provided with opportunities for the development of your self-awareness. The tutorial sessions will also enable you to develop your skills in perception and listening and to examine the impact that these have on the nurse-patient relationship.

 

ARTICULATION WITH OTHER SUBJECTS

There are no pre-requisites.

 

OBJECTIVES

To enable you to:

  • become more familiar with the personal values and attitudes that may directly affect your interpersonal interaction with others in a health care setting;
  • develop knowledge and understanding of the relationship between interpersonal processes and effective nursing practice, and
  • explore and extend your current interpersonal skills, and further develop your personal reflection skills through journal writing.

 

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

There are many benefits to employing web-based teaching. Students can progress at their own rate, as quickly or slowly as required. The material can be repeated as required and can be accessed more flexibly. Individual interaction is incorporated which means the student is active in the learning process. The interactive nature also provides feedback to the teacher to enable an appropriate response to each student’s progress.

In each Module you will find objectives for the module, the content, a summary and additional reading and activities. Contained within the content of the modules are feedback exercises and self-correcting tests. The feedback exercises are to be completed and will be submitted (via e-mail) automatically for review. The subject co-ordinator will provide feedback on the exercises. The feedback will be via e-mail, so be sure to check your ‘mail box’. You are also able to contact the subject co-ordinator if you have any questions relating to the material in the sessions. The self-correcting tests will be corrected by the computer program.

The group work in the tutorial sessions is aided by the use of a workbook. The workbook contains exercises and activities. Some of the exercises will be conducted during the tutorial sessions, but there is additional work that you will need to complete in your own time.

In addition to the web-based lectures and tutorial sessions students are to keep a personal/professional journal. More details on the journal are a part of the first tutorial session.

The web-based lectures, tutorial sessions and practical experiences in the clinical placements will provide a variety of learning opportunities. The format will encourage personal exploration and risk taking.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS

Stein-Parbury, J. 1993, Patient and Person: Developing Interpersonal Skills in Nursing, Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.

Tylee, J. M. & Tylee, P. J. 1998, Therapeutic Communication in Nursing: Workbook, La Trobe University, Albury/Wodonga.

 

MODULE & TUTORIAL OUTLINE

Module on web Tutorial-group work Clinical Placement
Module 1:

What is Therapeutic Communication?

 Personal Introductions.

Journal Writing.

How Effective are You Interpersonally?

  
Module 2:

The Self in Communication.(To be completed by week 2 tutorial.)

 Self Awareness and Self Disclosure.
Module 3:

Analysing Verbal Transactions.

(This module is equivalent to two regular lectures.)

 Perceptions in Communications  
Module 4:

Nonverbal Communication: Body Language.

 Listening Skills 1.
Module 5:

Nonverbal Communication: Paralinguistics, Space and Touch.

 Listening Skills 2.  
Module 6:

Conflict and Assertiveness.

(This module is equivalent to two regular lectures.)

 Week 6:

Self Directed Learning as outlined in Workbook. (In tutorial times.)
Module 7:

Adjusting to the Patient’s Health and Age. (To be completed before clinical placement in weeks 7 and 8.)

 Week 7:

Either Early Childhood or Clinical Areas.
Week 8:

Either Early Childhood or Clinical Areas.
Week 9:

In Tutorial Times Clinical Debriefing.

 

CLINICAL PLACEMENT

Week Title Objectives
6 1. Self directed learning as outlined in workbook.

(In tutorial session times.)
Either 7 or 8 2. Observation and practice in early childhood setting.

Venues: Primary schools, Pre-schools, Child Care Centres

 Students will be provided with the opportunity to:
  1. Examine critically their interpersonal skills.
  2. Examine critically feelings involved in interpersonal interaction.
  3. Observe and record indications denoting different mood states in children.
  4. Distinguish between the various forms of responding to others.
  5. Observe the interactions of those working with children.
  6. Evaluate organisational and other barriers to interpersonal communication with this age group.
  7. Write a verbatim of an interaction in which you either participated or observed.
Either 7 or 8 3. Observation and practice in clinical area.
  1. Critically examine personal interaction skills.
  2. Critically examine feelings involved in interpersonal interaction.
  3. Observe and record body and para-language messages.
  4. Distinguish between the various forms of responding to others.
  5. Observe the interactions of health professionals.
  6. Evaluate organisational and other barriers to interpersonal communication.
  7. Write a verbatim of an interaction in which you participated.
9 (In Tutorial Session Times.) 4. Clinical debriefing.
  1. Review clinical placements overall.
  2. Discuss material from self-directed learning.
  3. Discuss observations of placements.
  4. Review the verbatim from placements 2 and 3.
  5. Begin analysis of the verbatim.

 

Your clinical placement is a 20 hour component which aims to make meaningful connections between the theoretical components explored and the realities of health care practice. You will be given opportunities to practise interpersonal skills while also observing the complex interactions that occur in various settings. You will be required to complete some exercises associated with the clinical experiences.

 

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