Communication Basics for Laboratory Leaders

Author: Abigail Brown DiScipio, MFS, MLS(ASCP)CM
Reviewers: Angela Shannon, M(ASCP)CM; Sheryl A. Whitlock, MA.Ed, MLS(ASCP)BB
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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours: 2 hour(s)

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE Credit Hours

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE - Supervision/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, and Safety: 2.5 hour(s)

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This course is an introduction to the importance of communication and how it can positively and negatively impact our work environment. This course will go through a discussion of the dominant role communication plays in patient safety, customer service, employee well-being and satisfaction, and possible risks associated with miscommunication. With a focus on emotional intelligence as a foundation to effective communication, this course details what emotional intelligence is and how leaders can develop it within themselves to improve their own communication and their relationships with others. Throughout this course are tools that can be implemented in any laboratory to help construct communication training and build a culture of communication. With an emphasis that all laboratory roles can be leaders, Communication Basics for Leaders will reframe the way we think about communication within the laboratory.

Objectives

  • Discuss the importance of communication within the laboratory setting as it relates to patient safety, customer service, and employee well-being and satisfaction
  • Identify the possible risks associated with miscommunication
  • Provide an overview of emotional intelligence and its connection to effective communication
  • Provide tools for staff in all laboratory roles to improve their communication skills

Course Outline

  • The Importance of Communication
    • Every Laboratory Role Communicates, From Phlebotomists to Pathologists
    • Everyone Can Develop Their Skills to be a Leader and an Effective Communicator
    • Communication is Both Verbal and Non-verbal
    • Communication and Patient Safety
    • Communication and Laboratory Customer Service
    • Communication and Employee Well-Being and Satisfaction
    • The Importance of Communication Summary
    • Which of the following statements represents why the development of effective communication skills is important in the laboratory setting?
  • Risks of Miscommunication
    • Risks of Miscommunication and Patient Safety
    • Risks of Miscommunication and Customer Service
    • Risks of Miscommunication on Employee Well-being and Satisfaction
    • This case scenario is an example of what?Case Scenario 2The bench laboratory scientist had a critical result on a patient and called the patient care unit to relay the critical result to the nurse. Both the nurse and laboratory scientist failed to follow the protocol to repeat the information and document that this process had been completed. The nurse told the doctor that the critical result was
  • Mitigation of Risks
    • Building a Foundation of Effective Communication
    • Using Laboratory Policies and Procedures for Effective Communication
    • Embedding Effective Communication into the Quality Management System
    • Developing our Communication Skills
    • Risks of Miscommunication Summary
    • Which of the following helps mitigate risks associated with miscommunication?
  • Developing our Communication Skills
    • Developing our Communication Skills as Leaders
  • Emotional Intelligence
    • Emotional Intelligence is Developing Our Self-awareness, Self-management, and Awareness and Influence of Others.
    • What are Goldman's four aspects of Emotional Intelligence?
    • Self-awareness
    • Self-awareness Exercise
    • Self-management
    • Self-awareness, Self-management, and Our Three States of Mind
    • Mindfulness, Self-awareness, and Self-management
    • Self-management Exercise
    • Yelling at your coworker because you don't agree with them is an example of responding from which state of mind?
    • Social Awareness
    • Empathy
    • Sympathy, Compassion, and Shame
    • Which of the following represents the definition of empathy?
    • Practicing Social Awareness
    • Which of the following represents active listening?
    • Relationship Management
    • Emotional Intelligence Summary
  • Communicating Expectations
    • "Clear is Kind, Unclear is Unkind"
    • An Exercise in "Clear is Kind"
    • TASC is a tool that can be used to practice "Clear is Kind" because?
    • Constructive and Destructive Feedback
    • Which of the following four steps is the most important in providing great feedback?
    • "Loving Critics"
    • Feeling Defensive
    • Feeling Defensive, continued
    • Disagreeing Professionally and Productively
    • When in disagreement, practice all of the following EXCEPT?
    • Communicating in a Crisis
    • Which of the following will be a benefit for a healthcare facility as the result of establishing a command center or a crisis leadership team during a disaster or emergency?
    • Developing our Communication Skills Summary
  • Communication Tools
    • Communication Tools
  • Managing Up
    • What is "Managing Up"?
    • Managing Up and Emotional Intelligence
    • All of the following are examples of how to Manage Up, EXCEPT?
  • Closed-Loop Communication
    • Practicing Closed-loop Communication
    • Which of the following represents conditions in which closed-loop communication would be utilized?
  • AIDET
    • AIDET
    • What terms are represented in the acronym AIDET? Match the letter with the correct term.
    • How to Use AIDET
    • "I will be drawing four tubes today. Your samples will then be sent to the laboratory. You should contact your doctor for your test results and any other questions."This is an example of which step of AIDET?
    • Escalation
    • Communication Case Studies
  • Telephone Communication Tools
    • Telephone Etiquette
  • Email Communication Tools
    • Email Etiquette
    • Email Example A
    • Email Example B
    • Which of the two previous email examples was better?
  • Making the Most of Meetings
    • Meetings as a Practice in Non-verbal Communication
    • Scheduling a Meeting
    • Conducting and Attending Meetings
    • Communication before and after is important to conducting an effective and productive meeting and should include which of the following?
    • One-on-One Meetings
    • Which of the following does not represent a benefit of One-on-One meetings?
  • The Role of Human Resources
    • The Role of Human Resources
    • Even with good communication, there may still be instances in which it is necessary to include the skills of Human Resource professionals.
  • Creating a Culture of Communication
    • Create a Culture of Communication
  • Post Action Plan
    • This Course is Just the Beginning...
  • References
    • References

Additional Information

Intended audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical technologists, and technicians. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Level of instruction: Basic
Course description: This course is an introduction to the importance of communication and how it can positively and negatively impact our work environment. This course will go through a discussion of the dominant role communication plays in patient safety, customer service, employee well-being and satisfaction, and possible risks associated with miscommunication. With a focus on emotional intelligence as a foundation to effective communication, this course details what emotional intelligence is and how leaders can develop it within themselves to improve their own communication and their relationships with others. Throughout this course are tools that can be implemented in any laboratory to help construct communication training and build a culture of communication. With an emphasis that all laboratory roles can be leaders, Communication Basics for Leaders will reframe the way we think about communication within the laboratory. 
Author information: Abigail Brown DiScipio, MFS, MLS(ASCP)CM received her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY and a Master in Forensic Science from Boston University. Abigail has 15 years of experience working in the laboratory with a focus in chemistry, quality management, patient safety, regulatory compliance, laboratory safety, and clinical education.
Reviewer Information:
Angela Shannon, M(ASCP)CM holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science and minor in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has over 9 years of working experience in the clinical laboratory setting with a particular focus in Microbiology, Point of Care Testing, and clinical education. She is currently a Technical Consultant with Abbott Rapid Diagnostics where she combines her passion for laboratory training, education, and communication. She also provides hands on STD microscopy training to infectious disease fellows at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health - Sylvie Ratelle STD/HIV Prevention Training Center.
Sheryl A. Whitlock, MA.Ed, MLS(ASCP)BB is the owner of ARK Laboratory Consulting, LLC. She served as the laboratory coordinator for the Student Health Services Laboratory at the University of Delaware for 15 years. She received her Master’s degree in Education from Arcadia University. She has more than 35 years of experience in laboratory science, including management and education. She has written and published textbooks and laboratory manuals, as well as contributed to numerous online and print articles in the field of laboratory medicine.