Interprofessional and Communication Skills
What to master
Know team roles, handover structures, conflict resolution, and patient-centered communication. Understand SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) for structured communication and teach-back for confirming patient understanding. Be familiar with shared decision-making, cultural humility, and health literacy considerations.
Traps questions use
Items often test the most appropriate communication behavior in a conflict or error scenario - usually direct, respectful, and timely rather than avoidance or blame. Watch for questions where a clinician should escalate a concern through the chain of command rather than stay silent. Another trap is assuming a patient understood instructions without verification.
Worked rule of thumb
Use SBAR for any urgent or complex handover: state the Situation, give relevant Background, share your Assessment, and make a clear Recommendation. Rule of thumb: if the receiver cannot repeat back the key action, the communication is not complete - verify with teach-back or a read-back.