Manager Workshop: Communicating to patients and families during a crisis (Intermediate)

COURSE DESCRIPTION / AIMS

This blended learning workshop is designed for Managers, Assistant Managers and Team Leaders in the Community Care sector who have to lead their teams to communicate with patients and their families.  Through this course, they will be introduced to the principles of crisis communication, learn the crisis communication process in the organization and the tools  and skills needed for communicating with patients and families during a crisis.  The course will also focus on empathetic communication skills in delivering difficult news and answering challenging questions during a crisis.   As managers or team leaders,  learners will learn the tools and skills they need to prepare their staff to manage difficult situations with patients and families during a crisis. The workshop will be a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning.  The asynchronous self-directed learning will focus on knowledge acquisition while the synchronous learning through a Zoom/video-conferencing workshop will focus on application of skills.  The course is designed with interactive learning activities, including case studies, group discussion, skills practice and role-play practice with simulated patients.

COURSE OBJECTIVES / OUTLINE

1. Recognize the challenges of communicating to patients and families during a crisis.
2. Understand the principles of effective crisis communication to patients and their families
3. Explain the communication process during a crisis and how to manage communications to your stakeholders.
4. Understand the tools and skills needed to prepare your team to manage difficult situations with patients and families during a crisis
5. Understand the use of tools such as FAQs and scripts to support your communication plan.
6. Develop communication materials (eg. FAQs and scripts) for patients and families which are clear, confident and compassionate, and in accordance with your organizational requirement and key message for this crisis.
7. Comprehend how to deliver difficult news with calm and compassion.
8. Apply empathetic verbal and non-verbal communication skills when communicating difficult news and responding to difficult situations to patients and their family members during a crisis.

Managers, Assistant Managers and Team Leaders managing frontline teams in the Community Care sector.