Demonstrate efficient communication skills (handover & ISBAR)

At the early registrar level it is expected that a prevocational doctor will have acquired the skills, knowledge and behaviours to demonstrate efficient communication skills (handover & ISBAR).

This task describes a number of activities, as below, where proficiency should be achievable by the end of PGY3. The doctor is encouraged to download the key clinical task guidelines and seek the support of his/her supervisor for feedback on performance.

For discussion with consultant and during handovers
- Identify
- Situation
- Background
- Assessment
- Recommendation

Considered assessment by senior doctor receiving discussion or handover will inform this

Related Competencies:

Collaboration and teamwork

Understand both personal and collective responsibility within the team to ensure the safety of patients

Collaboration and teamwork

Perform effective handover in a structured format, e.g. team member to team member, or hospital to GP, to ensure patient safety and continuity of care

Communication

Recognise and respond appropriately to graded assertiveness

Communication

Attend to clarity, structure and appropriate content for specific correspondence, e.g. handover notes and investigation requests

Communication

Participate in clinical handover in a manner that ensures patient safety and continuity of care

Health advocacy

Consider, and allow for, the impact of social, economic and political factors, as well as culture, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and spirituality, on patient illness and health

Judgement and clinical decision making

Make well-reasoned diagnosis for common problems with assistance from senior clinician

Judgement and clinical decision making

Synthesise clinical information to generate a graded problem list, containing appropriate provisional diagnoses as part of the clinical reasoning process

Medical expertise

Recognise common symptoms and signs

See extracts from Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors (ACJD) and New Zealand Curriculum Framework for Prevocational training (NZCF)

Medical expertise

Seek help when unsure

Professionalism

Demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt to change

Communication

Explain clinical reasoning to current health team using concise language and a structured approach

Health advocacy

Identify key issues on which to advocate for the patient to ensure their immediate clinical care and requirements are achieved

Judgement and clinical decision making

Implement the ISBAR approach of identification, description of case, clinical background, assessment and recommendation for discussion

Judgement and clinical decision making

Recognise when advice and guidance is required in development of management plans

Leadership and management

Contribute fully in handover of patients within unit

Medical expertise

Present common cases effectively to senior medical staff and other health professionals

Medical expertise

Recognise when a patient is dying and implement an appropriate care plan

Medical expertise

Deal with common (presenting) symptoms and signs and common conditions. See extracts from:

Collaboration and teamwork

Collaborate effectively with other specialist teams involved in the patient’s care

Communication

Use graded assertiveness where appropriate

Health advocacy

Identify any gaps between management plan and patient wishes

Judgement and clinical decision making

Recognise when a management plan is failing and, where appropriate, seek senior input to devise an alternative plan

Judgement and clinical decision making

Plan the order of an operating list and discuss with consultant

Leadership and management

Lead handover of patients within unit

Medical expertise

Present complex cases effectively to senior medical staff and other health professionals