Facing your Fears Facing your Fears A communication workshop for A communication workshop for

final year medical studentsfinal year medical students

in collaboration with Liverpool Hope UniversityDepartment of Drama, Dance and Performance Studies

Community Studies UnitCommunity Studies UnitSchool of Medical EducationSchool of Medical Education

Faculty of Health and Life SciencesFaculty of Health and Life Sciences

Dr. Sian Alexander-White, Deputy Director CSUDr. Pete Leftwick, CSUDr. Isobel Jenkins, CSUMargaret Connell, Lecturer in Drama, Hope University

55thth year Communication for Clinical Practice year Communication for Clinical Practice

Workshop day with actors as simulated patients

Aims and Objectives:• Consolidation • Developing individual communication style• Gaining confidence in various situations• Deepening understanding• Using skills flexibly and adaptively• Fostering self-awareness and reflective

practice

Pilot Workshop with Drama students -Pilot Workshop with Drama students -Outcomes:Outcomes:

• Active, collaborative sessions triggering good discussions

• Atmosphere of mutual, pro-active learning

• New ideas introduced by drama students

• Positive feedback from both sides

Feedback from both sides:Feedback from both sides:◦“Challenging, new approach to comm. skills

that put us out of comfort zone” (medic)◦“Enjoyed experience of working with peers –

was challenging to maintain professionalism within group of peers”(Drama student)

◦“More challenging and more engaging; felt like we were working problems out together” (medic)

◦“Interesting having to work with specific client’s criteria” (Hope student)

◦“Tackling own fears was helpful” (medic)

What’s your nightmare scenario?What’s your nightmare scenario?

• Adapted from “Joe Blagg” concept developed by TiPP for work with young offenders.

• Medical students develop a fictional character and scenario based on a situation they dread encountering as doctors

• Students present these scenarios and characters to each other

• Opportunity to act the scenarios out with drama students

TiPP: Theatre in Prisons and Probation, Manchester, www.tipp.org.uk

What’s your nightmare scenario?What’s your nightmare scenario?

• Name, age• Type of person• Family History• Do they get on?

• Issue/Problem• Medical history• Other history• Social life• Friends• Etc…

First impressions:First impressions:

• Realistic and complex scenarios• Thinking about the patient’s perspective• Opportunity to practice some very challenging

situations• Discussions around

personal anxieties, opinions and preconceptions

impact of the above on attitudes and behaviour towards others

Impact of the above on our expectations of the outcome from an encounter

Theatre is“the capacity possessed by human beings… to observe themselves in action”

Augusto Boal“Games for Actors and Non-Actors”, 2002

Student CommentsStudent Comments“I benefitted because I was able to

choose a scenario that relates to my first job and that worries me. I feel better prepared for my first F1 job now”

“There are certain things that patients say that I have never known how to reply to. I now feel like I have some answers which will satisfy patients without putting myself in an awkward position”

Student CommentsStudent Comments“In some ways it made me more worried

about starting my F1 job because I will soon be handling real difficult patients myself.”

“Not all patients are going to like you, sometimes you just have to accept that”

“I’m not that good at comm. skills”“I am perhaps a little naive regarding

how unempathetic some people can be”