Communication and Civility

Summary

Breakdowns in communication, within teams or with patients, can occur in many ways. Common examples include outbursts of anger, misunderstandings of tone or volume of voice, cultural differences, inappropriate humor, the use of touch, and others. All of these breakdowns can result in stressful work environments, costly turnover in staff, and poor clinical outcomes. This process-driven, highly interactive, three-day course is designed to remediate distressed or disruptive clinicians who employ a broad range of unproductive or challenging communication behaviors. The course aims to return clinicians to meaningful careers properly equipped with the tools they need and a Personalized Protection Plan for communicating effectively and professionally in the future.

Prior to arrival at the seminar, participants begin our course with online pre-course assignments that include a personal essay and a Communication Self-Assessment Test. Our confidential and non-judgmental small-group seminar format creates a safe environment for honest disclosure and self-assessment. Through the use of the PBI Incivility Formula ©, participants are guided by faculty to openly examine their own personal vulnerabilities, risk factors, and resistance to self-assessment. Through this process, participants will begin to understand the harm their incivility may have caused to those around them, begin to accept responsibility for their actions, and develop a program of change. Participants' insights drive the composition of their own stratified Personalized Protection Plan, which they present at the conclusion of the course as their final oral examination to the faculty and class in a peer-review-type format.  

*Note: This course, previously abbreviated as CC-32, has been revised as of January 2020 to be known as CC-30. 

Format

1. Pre-course component: Online written assignments and readings (six hours)
2. In-person component: Three days (24 hours)
3. 30 CME hour certificate for pre-course + in-person course distributed upon successful completion of course at the end of day three.

Professions this course is suitable for:

All healthcare clinicians, including trainees. Also suitable for those in a supervisory role wishing to foster and role model civility within their teams.

This course addresses issues such as:

• Ineffective, unproductive, or uncollegial team or clinical communication
• Disruptive behavior
• Poor conflict management
• Difficulty in showing sensitivity or empathy
• Lack of awareness about how one comes across to others
• Management of frustrating situations or individuals
• Red flags that indicate potential communication breakdowns in oneself or others
• Note: This course is not intended to substitute for anger management treatment or to address or remediate substance abuse, undiagnosed or untreated mental health conditions, or physically abusive behavior. Should these sorts of issues emerge during the course, the faculty will discuss with the participant and the referring entity the need for a formal assessment.

Course reviews and testimonials

"Very valuable course and excellent presentation."

"The faculty was wonderful and effective as both a teacher and group leader!"

"I will be much more aware of how I communicate with others and how to avoid potential outbursts or unnecessary conflicts."

Learning objectives

• Explain how incivility and inappropriate communication can adversely impact clinical care
• Employ heightened self-awareness and empathy to improve their professional interactions
• Demonstrate that civility and professional communication practices are instrumental in attaining greater meaning in their work, reducing frustration, and counteracting feelings of burnout
• Formulate and implement a tiered Protection Plan to maintain civility and professional communication in the workplace and to include relapse prevention strategies
• Detect the early warning signs indicative of potential communication and professionalism breakdowns in themselves and others
• Create systems to support ongoing and widespread civility and professional communication practices in their workplace

Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and Professional Boundaries, Inc. The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine designates these live activities each for a maximum of 30 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in activity.