Aimed at crafting a curriculum for MSU that will be infused into the Communication Skills module for medical students, Midlands State University held a Partnership in Education Training and Research Advancement (PETRA) workshop on the importance of collaborative practice in healthcare for the betterment of patient care on the 10th of November 2023 at the Village Lodge, Gweru.
The workshop was attended by healthcare professionals and pharmacists from MSU and University of Zimbabwe (UZ), MSU Communication Skills Center lecturers as well as clinicians and nurse trainers from Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH).
In his overview of the benefits of the PETRA project, a Senior Lecturer in the department of Biochemistry, Dr. V. Muleya, highlighted the significance of the collaboration which puts all health professionals on board.
“We want our students to be aware that when they become doctors, nurses, pharmacists or oncologists, everyone’s opinion is important for the improvement of patient care,” said Dr. V. Muleya.
Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr. G. Mugadza, highlighted the importance of effective communication in both classroom and clinical settings.
“Sometimes we miss the point and end up coming up with a wrong diagnosis because we have not communicated effectively with the client,” said Dr. G. Mugadza.
She further indicated that the lack of effective communication in the healthcare system often escalates into clinical morbidity and mortality.
Communication Skills Lecturer, Dr. L. Gumbo, stated that the University is set to tailor a communication skills module focused on sensitising medical students on the need to embrace effective communication in the profession.
In his closing remarks, MSU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Deputy Dean, Dr. F. Maunganidze underscored the need to develop effective communication skills from an early stage for all professionals within the medical discipline.
Midlands State University is committed to the capacitation of its human resource base for the delivery of world-class services toward the production of well-rounded graduates.