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Arguments are inevitable in our personal and professional lives and we are all faced with situations that require balanced reasoning to resolve. Knowing how to argue effectively is  a cognitive skill that is important to develop. Below are a few tips for arguing effectively: – Speak clearly and seek clarification if you haven’t understood something. Don’t make assumptions or argue further about something you think you heard – Focus on one argument at a time, try not to bring up past issues or grievances  – Try to stay calm. Don’t raise your voice or point your finger. Take a breath, take a few seconds and think about what you want to say –  Don’t use sarcasm – Try to sit down and avoid standing over the other person, body language is important, it has the ability to diffuse or aggravate a situation. – Listen actively and patiently. Don’t talk over the other person – Take responsibility for yourself and your feelings. Don’t criticise the act or what was done, instead focus on your feelings. Instead of “ you have”, say; “I feel” – If the argument is escalating and attempts to resolve are not working, take a break and agree […]

Ward rounds are often undervalued, considering that they represent the patient and medical team interface. Ward rounds give us the opportunity to excel in our management plans in order to move the patient’s care forward. However ordinary ward rounds might be regarded, they involve highly complex decision making and require the utilisation of extremely skilful communication skills. Nonetheless, there are certain issues that are frequently experienced which impact the efficiency of the ward rounds with the potential to influence patient safety:  Common issues encountered during ward rounds Medical team Interruptions by the bleep/pager influencing the clinical examinations and decision making. Registrars being asked to leave the ward round if they are on -call to focus on other acute medical/ surgical duties. Consultants running late due to delays in clinic or in theatres and thereby starting the ward rounds late in the afternoon which will impact the time that is left for junior doctors to carry out post round jobs. Charge nurse and nurse at bedside not present to inform the medical team of issues that occurred overnight. Patients on outlier wards will usually be seen last on the ward round.  Patient notes Illegible handwriting in patient notes, loose documents in […]