Communication Training

Unit Based Ethics Conversations – Facilitator Training

UBEC Facilitator training provides clinicians the skills and knowledge to establish, or assist with, the UBEC program in their hospital setting.  Clinicians are educated in foundations of clinical ethics, moral distress, mapping moral distress, and communication and group facilitation skills.  The training class size is small to provide ample opportunity to practice facilitating mock-UBECs with case discussion in a safe learning environment.

Lady talking to another person in an office environment.

Training takes place over two 8-hour days. Day one covers foundations in ethics, group facilitation skills, empathy, and moral distress. Day two will focus on practicing facilitating UBECs, as well as acting and observing to gain different perspectives of the UBEC. Core faculty offer mentoring after the initial training and opportunities for follow-up training will be available.

We highly recommend individuals interested in becoming UBEC facilitators attend training with a colleague from their home institution.  In our experience, having a partner both during training and post training promotes greater success in establishing a program.

If you are interested in future trainings or would like information about UBEC Facilitator training at your home institution, click the button below.

Communication Training Inquiry

"This program, useful in every US hospital, may be especially useful in a small and/or rural hospital as an adjunct to such a hospital's ethics committee."
- UBEC Learner, MedStar Hospital, Washington, DC, July 2022

"This class was a pleasant surprise; I had not previously heard of UBEC but cannot express strongly enough how important they are to working through some of the toughest patient clinical scenarios. The in-person activity was productive with no wasted time, the instructors were fantastic. Come prepared!"
- UBEC Learner, MedStar Hospital, Washington, DC, July 2022

"UBEC Facilitator Training enhanced my group facilitation and ethics conversation skills. It was an invaluable experience that I know will serve me well in group ethics conversations like UBECs, as well as family meetings and one-on-one interactions with patients and colleagues."
UBEC Learner, WellStar Health System, Atlanta GA; July 2021

"Having the space to safely practice these techniques outside of an actual emotionally charged situation was very helpful in building my confidence to be able to do this in actual situations."
- UBEC Learner, Medstar Hospital, Washington, DC, July 2022

IMPACT

IMPACT is a communication skills program designed to increase integration of primary palliative care into patient care.

The program was originally created by the palliative care team at UCSF based on the Vital Talk model to help ICU nurses develop key communication skills.

The program at IU Health provides training and support to bedside nurses in any clinical setting. It also assists other clinicians to develop communication skills for conversations about patient values and preferences for medical treatment.  The IMPACT project has two main components: 1) a workshop to introduce and provide practice in key communication skills and 2) mentoring by clinicians trained as IMPACT faculty to support direct care providers as they screen and address palliative care needs for their patients.  

IMPACT training has 3 levels:

  • 1. IMPACT Basic - No pre-requisite; 4-hour course learning how to navigate serious illness conversations.
  • 2. IMPACT Coach - Pre-requisite - IMPACT Basic; 8-hour course covering additional communication training. Enables you to coach other staff in serious illness conversations.
  • 3. IMPACT Faculty - Pre-requisite - IMPACT Basic + Coach; 8-hour course on how to teach IMPACT to allow you to teach future IMPACT Basic/Coach courses.

At this time, IMPACT training courses are not available.

If you would like to be notified when more information is available, please click the button below to fill out a short survey.

Communication Training Inquiry

Vital Talk – Mastering Tough Conversations

FCME hosts Mastering Tough Conversations courses taught by VitalTalk trained faculty.  This one day, 8-hour training covering VitalTalk signature advanced communication skills courses features cognitive mapping, deliberate practice, and just-in-time feedback.  Results are immediate, significant, and promote lasting improvements in a healthcare provider’s ability to meet patient and family needs around delivering serious news.  The focus of the courses taught at FCME is on how to apply these skills in ethically challenging situations.  

This course is only offered to individuals affiliated with and employed by IU Health employees. For more information please email fcme@iuhealth.org.