Overview
This course develops foundational communication and professional practice skills for clinicians providing male gestational, obstetric, and perinatal care. Students examine therapeutic rapport, trauma-informed and culturally responsive communication, respectful terminology, identity-affirming practice, shared decision-making, motivational interviewing, health literacy, difficult conversations, disclosure and confidentiality, informed consent, capacity, documentation, telehealth, interprofessional collaboration, and communication under clinical uncertainty.
Practice-based learning includes simulated intake interviews, focused gestational and obstetric history-taking, explanation of procedures and risks, delivery of clinical results, responses to distress, safety-netting, referral conversations, and structured handoffs. Students analyse power dynamics, implicit bias, stigma, accessibility, and professional boundaries while applying ethical and professional standards to case-based decisions.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate active listening and therapeutic rapport in encounters involving male gestational and perinatal care.
- Elicit relevant gestational, obstetric, medical, and psychosocial histories without assumptions or stigmatizing language.
- Explain clinical options, procedures, risks, and uncertainty in accessible, patient-centred language.
- Apply shared decision-making, motivational interviewing, and health-literacy strategies to clinical consultations.
- Recognize and respond appropriately to distress, safeguarding concerns, communication barriers, and changing clinical needs.
- Document clinical encounters accurately while maintaining confidentiality, informed consent, and professional standards.
- Conduct structured referrals, safety-netting discussions, and interprofessional handoffs.
- Evaluate personal limits of competence and apply ethical reasoning to complex clinical communication decisions.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Practicum | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz | Quizzes (5 × 2%) | 10.00% |
| Assignment | Communication case analysis | 25.00% |
| Test | Simulated clinical encounter | 30.00% |
| Exam | Applied clinical communication examination | 35.00% |
Prerequisites
- Requirement 4 NCEA Level 2 English credits, externally assessed
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
