Civility and Communication

Elevating Civility and Communication

This process-driven, highly interactive, three-day course is designed to remediate distressed clinicians who employ a broad range of unproductive or challenging communication behaviors. Our confidential and non-judgmental small-group seminar format creates a safe environment for honest disclosure and self-assessment. 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 format.  

Course Editions

1. CC-30
   • 7.5 hours of pre-course assignments
   • Three-day virtual live course
2. CC-30 Extended
   • 7.5 hours of pre-course assignments
   • Three-day virtual live course
   • 12 hour post-course faculty-led group conference calls (MAS). One hour weekly for 12 weeks.

Reasons for Referral

• Difficulty in showing sensitivity or empathy
• Disruptive behavior (Example: belittling, bullying, or harassment, verbal outburst, physical aggression)
• Difficulty in conveying assertive behavior respectfully and appropriately (Overly aggressive or passive aggressive)
• Inappropriate humor
• Ineffective, unproductive, or uncollegial team or clinical communication
• Lack of awareness about how one comes across to others
• Poor conflict management (Failure to professionally manage challenging situations or individuals)
  
  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. 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.

Professions This Course Is Suitable For

This course is multi-disciplinary and appropriate for all licensed clinicians, including but not limited to: physicians, nurses, pharmacists (outside of California), dentists, veterinarians, chiropractors, physician assistants, mental health providers, physical therapists, acupuncturists, EMT's, midwives, optometrists, and trainees/students. Additionally, this course can also be adapted for other professionals, such as attorneys. Also suitable for those in a supervisory role wishing to foster and role model civility within their teams.

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 42 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in activity.