The Art of Difficult Conversations in Healthcare

This course equips healthcare professionals with the communication tools and emotional intelligence needed to navigate difficult conversations with patients, families, and colleagues. Participants will learn techniques to manage emotions, foster understanding, and maintain professionalism during high-stakes or sensitive discussions.

In this course, you will learn how to:

• Recognize when and why difficult conversations arise in healthcare.

• Prepare mentally and emotionally for challenging discussions.

• Use empathy and active listening to build trust and connection.

• Deliver difficult news with clarity, compassion, and respect.

• Manage strong emotions—both yours and others’—in real time.

• Address conflict and disagreement constructively.

• Apply structured conversation frameworks (e.g., SPIKES, NURSE) effectively.

• Maintain professionalism in emotionally charged or ethically complex situations.

• Collaborate with teams to support consistent communication approaches.

• Reflect on and improve your communication style through feedback and practice.