Advanced Communication Skills 2 Day Course

ISC Medical's two-day Advanced Communication Skills course is designed for doctors, dentists, nurses and all other healthcare professionals who wish to explore ways of making their communication skills more effective in their dealings with both patients and colleagues. The course is run by established NHS consultants and combines discussions, interactive workshops, and practical exercises to develop communication competence.

Through a series of interactive workshops, you will discover the factors that influence communication and behaviour, and learn practical skills including:
• Create a dialogue and build trust
• Use non-verbal communication effectively
• Optimise your listening and empathy abilities
• Manage expectations and manage the 'disappointment gap'
• Understand how your own attitude impacts on others
• Identify your own natural communication style and adapt it to others
• Deal with conflict effectively
• Improve compliance and achieve concordance
• Deal with sensitive situations (such as breaking bad news or dealing with complaints)
• Deal with difficult patients and colleagues
• Use communication strategies to enhance the efficiency of consultations
• Be assertive without being aggressive

The course runs over two days (09:30–16:30 approx each day) and is delivered virtually via Zoom. Day One covers understanding communication processes, essential communication tools, the NHS Health Belief Model, and dealing with challenging patients. Day Two includes communication for efficient consultations, conflict resolution, assertiveness and negotiation skills, and action planning.

Classes are kept to a maximum of 20 participants to ensure high-quality discussions and interaction between candidates from diverse backgrounds and specialties. The course content is evidence-based and uses world-recognised theories and techniques. Participants receive a comprehensive course book to take home.