Excellence in Healthcare Communication by Jenny Rudolph

Achieving excellence in healthcare communication requires multiple skills. When conflict arises we are programmed to respond with exasperation and negative judgment. In healthcare, this is especially dangerous. When your patient is in a critical state, the decision about whether to intubate before or after a trip to the CT is best reached with minimal conflict. Jenny Rudolph takes a refreshing angle on the practise of mastering yourself in difficult moments so that patient care is not compromised, and professional and personal relationships are not weakened. Conflict can be healthy when constructive. When making difficult decisions for patient treatment and care this friction or conflict can be even more important. This is because at this critical moment we should be sceptical about our decision making process, when we tend not to be. Equally, in a disagreement, we are often certain when we ought not to be. However, if there is too much prickly feedback and defensiveness on both sides, solutions are often difficult to deliver. When faced with such challenges in communication, Jenny discusses how to reset, and to reframe the situation and avoid reacting with negative emotion She explains the battle between judgement and curiosity when faced with difficult situations. They are both normal. It just so happens we are naturally curious about that which fascinates and interests us and judgemental about the irritating and appalling. By challenging listeners to get curious, Jenny explores techniques to manage conflict in high stress, time pressured, critical care conversations. She advocates for the efficiency and effectiveness of infusing positive regard into our interactions. Join Jenny as she guides you through reconciling curiosity and judgement, providing practical tips to use in the Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit, alongside moments of catharsis! For more head to: codachange.org/podcasts