| Description of the theme:
This role involves the ability to gather information essential for healthcare, to maintain relationships with clients and their caregivers, and to share the information as appropriate. |
| Knowledge:
All participants and the regulatory documents highlighted the need for graduates to have a good understanding of communication.
All participants indicated that graduates need to understand the local indigenous language and understand how the language is embedded in cultural practices. Novice occupational therapists emphasized the requirement to be proficient in isiZulu as it is the dominant language of their clients. Thus, the institution should continue to train and assess isiZulu (indigenous language) communication competency during undergraduate training. Both the novice and established occupational therapists reported that graduates should have knowledge about basic alternative augmentative communication options when treating clients with language—or hearing afflictions.
Knowledge and skills to recognise different political climates in the workplace and adapt communication accordingly. (Kate, established occupational therapist)
……need to have more isiZulu (indigenous language), if you have a practical exam and you have Zulu patient you should have to speak Zulu to them. You should be assessed on this so that you make sure you learn it. (Participant 30, novice occupational therapist) |
| Skill:
There was a consensus that graduates must be proficient to give verbal and written feedback to peers. They also need to communicate to managers about their clients, interventions, and services. The established occupational therapists and DoH participants stressed that graduates had to recognize different political climates in the workplace and adapt their communication accordingly. All participants reported that graduates should adjust their communication style to converse with diverse populations. Skills highlighted included communicating in the clients’ first language or using a translator to obtain the clients’ history, home environment, and systems for support and explain the purpose of therapy. Both the established and novice occupational therapists endorsed the documentary guidelines for graduates to interact and convey knowledge and information in a culturally sensitive way. Furthermore, established occupational therapists and DoH participants emphasized that graduates should be aware of power relationships when communicating with clients, families, CHWs, and the community. Novice occupational therapists expressed that graduates should learn to communicate with difficult clients and staff, e.g., an angry client.
You have to be a good communicator …It was only about a month down the line that I actually started going to speak to people about how things work; I think it would have been better for me to go and introduce myself to the nursing manager and say this is who I am and this is what I do to get people like that on your side at the end of the day. (Participant 34, novice occupational therapist)
To adapt their communication style to converse with diverse populations and be cognizant of the power differential when communicating with clients, families, community health workers (entry-level health workers) and the community. (Participant 14, established occupational therapist) |
| Attitude:
Established occupational therapists and DoH participants noted that graduates should be more resilient when receiving critique or feedback from colleagues, management, and clients. In addition, both the novice and established occupational therapists reported that graduates must, where appropriate, should use assertive communication with their team to motivate for changes to improve the functioning of systems in the community or their institutions.
Evaluate yourself when you get feedback and be able to accept criticism, but know that some people cannot criticise constructively, (KZN-DoH provincial manager)
Use assertive communication with team and clients and be able to motivate for changes to systems…you need to be proactive. For example, I had to negotiate with the nurses and doctors to allow for screening of clients in the clinic, rather than waiting for a direct referral. (Participant 22, novice occupational therapist)
Address them[clients and Multidisciplinary team] professionally and politely and you will (be) getting your point across because once you start (showing) emotions, it goes out the window and people will close their ears and not listen to you. (Participant 3, established occupational therapist) |
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