Course Overview

This course supports the development of the nurse’s effective, respectful, and constructive verbal and written communication skills in the health care sphere. Students will apply relevant communication theories to demonstrate competency in formal and informal written and verbal communications. Students will further tailor their messages in terms of argument, clarity, organization, and style to the appropriate audience (e.g., patients, professional colleagues, the public), purpose, and context. Course content includes ethical considerations, cultural competence, and special situations that occur in healthcare such as communicating with the help of an interpreter. This course is designed for USD’s distance education undergraduate degree completion programs and may not be applied to the requirements for any on-site undergraduate degree program that USD offers. This course satisfies the Oral Communication (CORL) flag of the Core Curriculum.

Learning Outcomes:

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

1. Select a communication channel appropriate to the situation.
2. Deliver a clear, compelling, and engaging message that is thoughtfully organized and constructed to suit the audience and communication purpose. (CORL 1, 2, 3)
3. Create supporting materials that underscore and augment the central message, according to the needs of the audience. (CORL 1, 2)
4. Communicate professionally and empathetically both verbally and in writing, demonstrating cultural competence and within appropriate ethical, legal, and policy guidelines. (CORL 3)