The objective of the course is to familiarise students with the basic principles, types and forms of human communication, as well as with the specificities of communication in healthcare, and to train them to establish successful communication with patients and their family members.
Introduction to communication: definition of communication, concept, types, objectives and principles of communication; verbal communication; nonverbal communication; barriers to communication; listening, importance of listening, active listening techniques; complaints and complaint handling techniques; feedback: structure and provision; assertive communication; empathy and the importance of empathy for communicating with patients and their families; communicating to persons with limited communication abilities; communicating to children and adolescents; communicating to elderly persons; presentation skills; communication in a team; leadership styles.
Assigned reading:
- Kathleen K. Reardon: Interpersonalna komunikacija – Gdje se misli susreću, „Alineja”, Zagreb 1998.
Further reading:
- Donald C. Pennington: Osnove socijalne psihologije, Naklada Slap, Jastrebarsko 1996.