Minimum Course Hours: 20

Course Description

Learners focus on specific professional communication skills for working with care providers and clients across the lifespan in community settings. Learners continue to build communication skills for developing, maintaining, and concluding therapeutic relationships with clients, including adults, youth, and children, and those with mental health and/or substance use conditions. Learners explore cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism, with a focus on Indigenous-specific anti-racism. Learners will also focus on problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Level 2 courses and Consolidated Practice Experience 2

Corequisites: Professional Practice 3; Integrated Nursing Practice 3; Variations in Health 3; Health Promotion 3

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. Identify the current British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) LPN Professional Standards, Practice Standards, and Entry-Level Competencies that are relevant to communicating with clients in community settings, including maternity clients, newborns, children, youth, and clients experiencing mental health and/or substance use conditions.
   • 1.1 Discuss learning experiences where specific BCCNM standards and entry-level competencies have directed and guided communication practice with clients, family members, and team members.
   • 1.2 Analyze how standards inform communication in community settings.
2. Explain approaches to effectively communicate and facilitate problem solving and decision making with the interprofessional team to ensure continuity of care while respecting team members’ roles, competencies, and scope.
   • 2.1 Identify the members of the interprofessional team that care for clients in the community setting.
   • 2.2 Discuss the role of the LPN in coordinating care for clients in different community care settings.
   • 2.3 Use effective collaborative problem-solving and decision-making strategies through applied practice (e.g., role plays, scenarios, case studies).
3. Demonstrate through applied practice the communication skills for developing, maintaining, and concluding therapeutic relationships with clients across the lifespan who are receiving care in the community.
   • 3.1 Identify communication strategies for building and concluding therapeutic relationships when clients are living with mental health and/or substance use conditions or have perceptual differences.
   • 3.2 Identify strategies for building therapeutic rapport.
   • 3.3 Explore how to communicate both verbally and in writing in a non-stigmatizing way when providing care for clients across the lifespan and for clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions, receiving care in the community.
   • 3.4 Explain how to apply personal and professional boundary setting with children, youth, and adult clients, including those experiencing mental health and/or substance use conditions.
   • 3.5 Describe communication barriers and challenges to therapeutic relationships when caring for people in crisis, including people with mental health and/or substance use conditions.
4. Describe effective communication strategies when caring for adults with developmental disabilities.
   • 4.1 Identify communication strategies for developing positive relationships with adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
5. Describe effective communication strategies for developing positive relationships with children.
   • 5.1 Identify age-appropriate communication strategies for developing positive relationships with different pediatric age groups and developmental stages, including children with developmental disabilities.
   • 5.2 Identify strategies for developing positive relationships with families.
6. Describe recovery-oriented care and strength-based approaches that promote the development, maintenance, and conclusion of therapeutic relationships when caring for people with mental health and/or substance use conditions.
   • 6.1 Explore different models of recovery-oriented care.
   • 6.2 Explain how these models inform nursing practice and the therapeutic relationship.
7. Identify communication cues that indicate when an individual may be at risk for self-harm or causing harm to others.
   • 7.1 Discuss the difference between suicide and self-harm.
   • 7.2 Explore the relationship between the strength of the therapeutic relationship and the client’s willingness to share information.
8. Discuss the communication skills required for effective collaboration with Indigenous and non‐Indigenous health care professionals, including traditional healers, to provide effective care for Indigenous clients, families, and communities.
   • 8.1 Explore the importance of cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism approaches when building relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
   • 8.2 Discuss strategies for applying cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism with different cultures, with a focus on Indigenous-specific anti-racism.
   • 8.3 Describe the importance of a strength-based approach with Indigenous clients and strategies for integrating this approach into practice.

Course Concepts

Course outcomes will be met through examination and exploration of the following:

• Therapeutic relationships
• Integrating communication skills
• Ensuring continuity of care
• Problem solving and decision making
• Conflict resolution
• Verbal de-escalation
• Age-appropriate communications
• Adapting communication appropriate for the client
• Non-stigmatizing language
• Integrating relational practice
• Working with groups
• Communicating effectively with clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions, including clients with perceptual differences
• Communicating effectively with clients with developmental differences
• Honouring diversity
• Caring and respect
• Integration of interprofessional communication
• Interprofessional conflict resolution
• Guidelines for addressing disagreements
• Establishing a safe environment to express opinions
• Cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism with a focus on Indigenous-specific anti-racism
• Reaching a consensus
• Coordinating care for clients in community settings