HCOM 585 - Training and Consulting in Healthcare Contexts

Prerequisite, admittance to the Master of Science in Health and Strategic Communication Program, or consent of instructor. Course orients students to the fields of training and consulting as communication professions with unique application in the healthcare context. Introduces students to the skills needed by the trainer/consultant, stages of the consulting process, and the role of organizational communication theory in consulting. Students will gain experience identifying and diagnosing communication problems within the healthcare setting through needs assessment and data analysis, and gain proficiency in the design and delivery of appropriate training interventions and evaluation. Special emphasis on the growing role of advanced communication and information technologies, such as online learning communities, in organizational training and development. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits