According to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), Communication is one of the nine surgical competencies of the RACs relevant to all areas of surgical practice.

To ensure the safety and well-being of patients, effective communication and teamwork are essential in the field of surgery. As surgical environments become increasingly complex and stressful, it is crucial for surgeons to possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage stress and emotions effectively.

The Process Communication Model (PCM) offers a structured approach to understanding stress and distress behavior, developing conflict management skills, and fostering self-management strategies. This model's efficacy in preparing surgeons to communicate effectively and manage stressful situations with emotional balance was recently evaluated in a survey.

The survey results indicated that surgeons found PCM to be relevant and recommended for their professional development (median 80, interquartile range (IQR) 73–90). They reported moderate ease of integration into their professional lives, indicating that the skills taught in PCM training were practical and useful.

Interestingly, the survey also found that surgeons still relied on their pattern recognition skills and conflict management skills when working with 94% of their colleagues. It is clearly shown that they recognized the importance of these skills in their daily work.

Overall, the evaluation of PCM training showed positive impacts on professional and personal relationships, self-efficacy, well-being, and stress reduction. Free text comments were 86% positive indicating personal insights, while 14.0% experienced some challenges in implementing skills.

Read the full article on PCM's role in the surgeons of RACS here.

Overall, PCM training equipped surgeons with useful ways to communicate more effectively with colleagues and patients. Basically, PCM is a scientifically-validated tool that helps to decode human behaviors and that has been implemented across companies, industries, and the world. If you want to go deeper into this useful tool, book our training to gain more insights and apply this practical tool in your daily work life.