Lesson-level objective:
Analyze communication techniques following an audio/visual presentation
of conflict
Methods:
One method that could be utilized to effectively teach
communication is through lecture. A lecture could easily occur during a class
period of students obtaining their undergraduate degree in nursing. I would
start by explaining the goals and objectives of the lecture so that everyone is
on the same page. I would explain that conflict is a part of everyday life and
it will happen in the workplace. With this in mind, I would say that proper and
effective communication help to resolve conflict. I would stress the importance
of effective communication and how detrimental it can be if there is poor
communication between people, whether it is between coworkers or patients and
their healthcare providers. The lecture would be supplemented with a PowerPoint
presentation. I would then present basic information about communication
including verbal and non-verbal cues. I would explain that listening is a form
of communication. I would also speak about appropriate and inappropriate
language in the healthcare setting. As the lecturer, I would add my own
experiences about good and bad communication to the lecture to contribute to
their further understanding of the subject. I would also explain that ‘winning
or losing’ is not the goal of resolving a conflict. It’s important to listen to
everyone involved and come up with a solution together. In conclusion, I would
summarize what had been said during the lecture and allow time for questions.
Another method of teaching that could be used to teach effective
communication to a group of undergraduate nursing students is group discussion,
specifically a case study. In a classroom setting, I would pass around a paper
with background information on a patient. It would also include the current
situation leading them to hospitalization. There would be a number on the top
of the paper that would group students with each other. After reading the
information, the students would break of into the smaller groups and discuss
the situation. I would have them discuss their own personal experiences with
good or bad communication. I would also have them discuss the needs of the patient
and how they, as healthcare providers, would create an environment that would
allow for effective communication with the patient. I would walk around to each
group to listen to what was being said and direct their discussion if
necessary.
A different method to teach effective communication is through
role-playing. This method works well with undergraduate nursing students
because it provides an opportunity to experience and prepare for a situation
they will encounter in the future. This type of a situation would work well
with classmates playing different parts. Each participant would be given
information about the situation just prior to the role-playing. The participant
playing the role of disgruntled co-worker or patient/family member would be
given instructions on how to act in the scenario. The nursing student would
then participate in the communication with the other person to work through
conflict. A debriefing would take place afterwards where participants could
safely talk about the scenario.
Lastly, effective communication might be taught through self-instruction.
This type of teaching would work well with undergraduate nursing students who
are busy and need more time than one class period to go over the material. The
lesson would be open over a one-week period. A textbook chapter about
communication would be assigned for basic understanding of core principles of
communication. A PowerPoint presentation with voice-over recordings would also
be assigned. Supplemental readings and videos would be available to the learner
for further understanding. This could be completed at any time during the
weeklong period as long as it is completed by the time the lesson closes.
Advantages/Disadvantages:
One advantage of a lecture is that it provides background
information for future learning. A disadvantage is that it doesn’t provide
learners an opportunity to actively participate and can lead to boredom.
An advantage of a case study is that each person can share
his or her feelings or personal experiences providing a more active way of
learning. A disadvantage would be that one or two learners might dominate the
discussion leaving little opportunity for shy learners to become involved.
One advantage of role-playing may include the opportunity to
discover personal feelings in a given situation. A disadvantage of role-playing
is that roles can either be over played or under played so it doesn’t provide a
good reality.
An advantage of self-instruction is that it allows the learner
to go at his or her own pace providing them an opportunity to review the
information. A disadvantage is that it requires high motivation and is not good
for those who procrastinate.
References:
Bastable, S. B. (2014). Nurse
as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for
nursing
practice (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
