Communication Skills

An introduction to a series of personal experiments in emergency medicine education, inspired by philosophy and deliberate practice. The exercises aim to challenge clinicians’ thinking, empathy, communication and teaching through repetition and reflection, with a link to the collection developed by the St Emlyn’s team.

Inspired by a speech from Australian Army chief David Morrison, Iain Beardsell asks what it means to uphold shared values in the NHS. He reflects on everyday standards, humiliation of colleagues and the personal responsibility to challenge behaviour that undermines a supportive working culture.

Do clinicians and parents mean the same thing by ‘bilious’ or ‘projectile’ vomiting? This paediatric teaching post explores how language can obscure important findings, using vomiting in babies and children to illustrate clearer history-taking and recognition of possible surgical illness.

An introduction to the evidence-based medicine workshop at SMACC Gold 2014, led by St Emlyn’s and Critical Care Reviews. It sets out an approach to asking useful questions, finding relevant research and translating evidence into care, with a self-assessment quiz on everyday EBM habits.

What changes when a clinician joins an online discussion anonymously? Damian Roland reflects on creating a provocative Twitter account for a 2013 conference debate, exploring first impressions, trust, the temptation to speak differently and the unexpected discomfort of maintaining another identity.

How does a patient’s story become distorted as it passes through the emergency department? Using an illustrative handover, this post explores clearer summaries, structured communication, attentive listening and checking shared understanding, with practical ways for both the speaker and receiver to reduce misunderstandings.