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University of Florida
College of Public Health and Health Professions
Fall, 2013
Course:
HSC 3661 & RCS 4415
Therapeutic Communication Skills for Health Professionals (2 credits lecture, 1
credit lab)
Instructor:
Chandylen Nightingale, MPH
Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health
College of Public Health and Health Professions
e-mail: [email protected]
Office Location: HPNP 3132
Times &
Location:
Lecture: Friday, 9:35 to 10:50, HPNP Auditorium
Labs:
Lab 1, Section 1217: Tuesday: 9:35 – 10:50, G108
Lab 2, Section 1261: Tuesday: 9:35 – 10:50, G109
Lab 3, Section 1282: Tuesday: 11:05 – 12:20, G108
Lab 4, Section 1287: Tuesday: 11:05 – 12:20, G109
Lab 5, Section 1298: Wednesday: 9:35 – 10:50, G108
Lab 6, Section 1310: Wednesday: 9:35 – 10:50, G109
Lab 7, Section 1349: Wednesday: 11:05 – 12:20, G108
Lab 8, Section 1360: Wednesday: 11:05 – 12:20, G109
Lab 9, Section 1364: Thursday: 8:30 – 9:45, G108
Lab 10, Section 1369: Thursday: 8:30 – 9:45, G109
Lab 11, Section 1371: Thursday: 10:00 – 11:15, G108
Lab 12, Section 1377: Thursday: 10:00 – 11:15, G109
Office
Hours:
By appointment
Teaching
Assistants:
Oluwayemisi Awoyemi:
Victoria Hunter:
Joshua Gilbert:
Ezekiel Ojewale:
Jessica Spigner:
Madison Workman:
Labs 2 & 4
Lab 6
Labs 3 & 8
Labs 1, 9, & 11
Labs 10 & 12
Labs 5 & 7
Course Description: Through lecture, discussion, and role playing in large and small groups,
students learn appropriate verbal and nonverbal behavior to be used with patients, families, the
health care team, and the greater community.
Course Objectives:
During this class, students will:
1. Develop knowledge of the potential impact of effective versus ineffective communication
used in a health care environment with patients, clients, consumers, families, the health
care team and the greater community.
2. Demonstrate basic verbal and nonverbal therapeutic communication skills and
professional behavior important in the health care setting.
3. Develop sensitivity to basic issues of diversity in health care communication.
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4. Summarize and apply the criteria for mass communication health campaigns
Required Textbook:
van Servellen, G. (2009). Communication skills for the health care professional: Concepts,
practice, and evidence (2nd ed.). Las Angeles, CA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Instructional methods:
1. Lecture using Powerpoint presentations. Lectures will be posted on Sakai
(www.lss.at.ufl.edu). In many cases these will be posted prior to class but in some cases
it may be the morning of class or after class. You should always be prepared to take
your own notes.
2. Experiential labs where you will reinforce your skill development by practice and
feedback.
Topic outline (this is tentative and may be modified as needed during the semester):
Date
Topic
Assignment/ Reading
Aug. 23
Course introduction
Ch.’s 1-3 (3 – 65)
Aug. 27 – 29 LABS
Introduction to Labs
Aug. 30
Confirmation & Empathy
Ch. 5 (87 – 103)
Trust
Ch. 6 (105 – 118)
Sep. 3 – 5 LABS
Practice Skills
Sep. 6
Online Discussion #1 Due
6pm
How Do You Ask a Question?
Ch. 7 (121 - 133)
Use of Silence/ Pauses
Ch. 8 (135 – 146)
Sep. 10 – 12 LABS
Practice Skills
Sep. 13
Self-disclosure
Ch. 9 (149 – 161)
Reflection and Interpretation
Ch. 11 (173 – 187)
Sep. 17 – 19 LABS
Practice Skills
Sep. 20
Exam 1
Sep. 24 – 26 LABS
Exam 1 Feedback
Sep. 27
Confrontations
Ch. 12 (189 – 200)
Communicating with the Family
Ch. 19 (335 – 351)
Oct. 1 – 3 LABS
Practice Skills
Oct. 4
Chronic/ Life Threatening Illnesses
Ch. 14 (229 – 246)
Crisis 101
Ch. 15 (247 – 263)
Oct. 8 – 10 LABS
Practice Skills
Oct. 11
Cultural Issues in Communication
Ch. 4 (67 – 80)
Low Literacy Communication Issues Ch. 13 (205 – 224)
Oct. 15 – 17 LABS
Practice Skills
Oct. 18
Movie
Oct. 22 – 24 LABS
Oct. 25
Oct. 29 – 31st. LABS
Nov. 1
Nov. 5 – 7 LABS
Reflection on Movie
Macro Level Communication
Design a Communication Campaign
Ethical Concerns
Preparation for Clinical Case
Paper due by beginning
of class
NA
Online Discussion #2 Due
by 6pm
Ch. 20 & 21 (355 – 374)
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Nov. 8
Nov. 12 – 14 LABS
Nov. 15
Nov. 19 – 21 LABS
Nov. 22
Nov. 26 – 28 LABS
Nov. 29
Scenarios
NO CLASS (Homecoming)
Clinical Case Scenarios
Clinical Case Scenarios
Preparation for Final
Exam 2
NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
Student evaluation:
1. Two exams, each consisting of approximately 25 questions which may include multiplechoice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer.
2. Online discussion posting #1 on a communication experience with a provider (details will
be posted on sakai)
3. Online discussion posting #2 based on your reflection for this course (details will be
posted on sakai)
4. A paper assignment in response to a movie which will be shown in class (details will be
provided later in the semester)
5. A graded clinical case scenario in which the students interview a mock patient will be
conducted at the end of the semester.
6. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each lab meeting. Excessive tardiness will
constitute an absence.
7. Professionalism. This includes issues such as being present in lecture from the start
through the end of class, being respectful to others, and not talking or using the internet
for non-class related activities (e.g., facebook). Lab attendance is calculated separately,
as specified above.
8. In-class assignments for extra credit points will be included in lectures at the discretion
of the instructor. Students cannot earn more than 3 bonus points throughout the
semester. Although TA’s will keep track of student bonus points, it is up to the student to
make sure that they do not exceed more than 3 bonus points.
Graded Assignments
Two exams (50 points each)
Clinical case scenario
Movie Reaction Paper
Lab attendance (3 points each day)
Two online discussion posts (5 points each)
Professionalism
Total Points
Grading scale:
Grade Percent
A
AB+
B
BC+
93 - 100
90 - 92
87 - 89
83 - 86
80 - 82
77 - 79
Points
186 - 200
180 - 185
174 - 179
166 - 173
160 - 165
154 - 159
Points
100
35
20
30
10
5
200
4
C
D+
D
DE
70 - 76
67 - 69
63 - 66
60 - 62
less than 60
140 - 153
134 - 139
126 - 133
120 - 125
<119
Course evaluation
Students will complete a confidential, written evaluation of the course at the end of the
semester.
EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS: Due to the experiential nature of this course, class
attendance is required and significant grade penalties for absences are built into the grading
system. Students will be allowed to make up missed work only with University approved and
documented medical or family emergencies. Students should notify the instructor or appropriate
TA as soon as possible about any problems or conflicts with attendance. Students are
expected to come to class on time, ready to learn and to participate actively. Please turn off cell
phones and social media websites and limit other distractions so as to make this the best
learning environment for everyone. Multiple unexcused absences, tardiness, or inappropriate
classroom behavior may result in additional grade penalties at the instructor’s discretion.
UNIVERSITY ABSENCE POLICY:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx
ACCOMMODATIONS: The course instructor wants every student to have the opportunity for a
positive learning experience. This includes my willingness to provide accommodations to
students with disabilities. Students requesting classroom accommodations must first register
with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the
student who must then provide this documentation to me when requesting accommodations.
COUNSELING: Students may occasionally have personal issues that arise in the course of
pursuing higher education or that may interfere with their academic performance. Students
facing problems are encouraged to seek confidential assistance at the University of Florida
Counseling Center, 352-392-1575, or Student Mental Health Services, 352-392-1171. Visit their
web sites for more information: http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/ or http://shcc.ufl.edu/smhs/. Crisis
intervention is always available 24/7 from the Alachua County Crisis Center: 352-264-6789.
STUDENT HEALTH: The Student Health Care Center at Shands is a satellite clinic of the main
Student Health Care Center located on Fletcher Drive on campus. Student Health at Shands
offers a variety of clinical services, including primary care, women's health care, immunizations,
mental health care, and pharmacy services. The clinic is located on the second floor of the
Dental Tower in the Health Science Center. For more information, contact the clinic at 3920627 or check out the web site at: www.health.ufl.edu/shcc
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to act in accordance with the University of Florida policy on academic
integrity (see Student Conduct Code, the Undergraduate Student Handbook or this web site for
more details:
www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/academicguide.php).
Turn-it-in
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The paper assignment will be turned in on sakai and will undergo a plagiarism check with turn-itin software.
The Honor Code
We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our
peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is
either required or implied:
"On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment."
Cheating. The improper taking or tendering of any information or material which shall be used
to determine academic credit. Taking of information includes, but is not limited to, copying
graded homework assignments from another student; working together with another
individual(s) on a take-home test or homework when not specifically permitted by the teacher;
looking or attempting to look at another student's paper during an examination; looking or
attempting to look at text or notes during an examination when not permitted. The tendering of
information includes, but is not limited to, giving of your work to another student to be used or
copied; giving someone answers to exam questions either when the exam is being given or
after taking an exam giving or selling a term paper or other written materials to another student;
sharing information on a graded assignment.