Half-Day Training Content
In a half-day training, Module 1 activities should take about 40 minutes (as noted below). Components to include in the Communication Module for a half-day training include:
- Introduction and Objectives: 2 minutes
- Communication Exercise: 7 minutes
- Communication's Importance and Meaning: 6 minutes
- Effectiveness and Challenges in Communication: 4 minutes
- Tool Overview and SBAR: 4 minutes
- Call-Outs: 4 minutes
- Check-Backs: 4 minutes
- Handoffs and I-PASS: 5 minutes
- Summary: 2 minutes
You may choose to spend more time on some of these activities and to omit others. Alternatively, you may want to include other parts of the communication materials instead of some of the components noted above. In a half-day course, the focus is likely to be on specific, usable tools, so try to spend as much time on them as possible.
Teaching Goals
As noted in the introductory section, it's important to continuously reinforce your enthusiasm for TeamSTEPPS and its importance to patients and healthcare workers. Continue to foster mutual respect, fun, and transparency through the use of active learning and listening throughout the section. Specific objectives for teaching this module are identified below:
- Describe how communication affects team processes and outcomes.
- Define effective communication.
- Identify communication challenges.
- Identify TeamSTEPPS tools and strategies that can improve a team's communication.
The sequence of topics described below will help achieve these four goals, although reinforcing them will be critical for them to be used and sustained.
Introduction and Objectives
Briefly review the learning objectives for the module (Slide 2) and then introduce the concept of communication and its relationship to the other three core TeamSTEPPS skills (Slide 4). It's important to still emphasize that every part of TeamSTEPPS is needed to foster a culture of safety. Encourage the trainees to look for specific concepts and tools they can apply to their own teams after the training. If time permits, have a participant share a situation they experienced where the team communicated effectively in a challenging situation. Use this to create a positive image of what TeamSTEPPS can help their teams achieve.
Communication Exercise
If time permits, the communication exercise described in the 2-day training section (Slide 3) is a useful, active way to teach key communication concepts. Use it to reinforce key messages about communication you make in the remainder of your Module 1 training.
Communication's Importance and Meaning
Use Slides 5-6 and the talking points related to them. Even though time is short, asking the class for at least one example of effective communication will help to keep them engaged.
Effectiveness and Challenges in Communication
Use Slides 7–8 and the guidance related to them. Using groups to brainstorm challenges to communication in conjunction with Slide 8 will help make the learning active and engaging.
Information Exchange Tools
After providing the introduction to communication, offer a brief overview of the information exchange tools (using Slides 9-17) and note extensive information and examples of each available on the AHRQ website. Use the same approach to teaching each tool as is described in the 2-day training instructions; to save time, you may want to drop the SBAR video on Slide 11. If time is limited, consider focusing on a smaller number of tools most relevant to the trainees. You may choose to provide a brief overview of the tools and then poll the class to choose which to spend more (or any) time on.
Unit Summary
Slide 18 can still be used to help your class retain the big picture for how communication and its tools relate to the other TeamSTEPPS skills and to the goal of high-performing, trusting, and patient-centered teams. Slide 19 is not needed for a shortened training.
