Schedule
November 14-16th
Friday
8.30 Registration & CPD activities
9.00 Communications workshop
12.30 Mitolo Winery CPD Conference lunch
Saturday
8.30 CPD activities
9.00 Reseilience Sheild Workshop 1
12.30 Star of Greece CPD Conference lunch
Sunday
9.00 CPD activities
9.30 Reseilience Sheild Workshop 2
1.00 Conference end
Dr. Nicholas J.W. Mills
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Paediatrician and Palliative Care Physician at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) in Adelaide, South Australia.
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Developed workshops in practical patient-centred care models. Strategies applicable to patients of all ages.
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Extensive experience in teaching communication skills to multidisciplinary professionals and is a member of the International Association for Communication in Healthcare
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Employs Clinical Hypnotherapy skills in teaching
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Clinician and researcher: Current focus on innovative and patient-centred approaches for serious illness communication with children and familie
Conference Workshops
Mastering patient-centred & collaborative communication: Advanced techniques for experienced clinicians
Unlock the next level of your communication expertise in this advanced, interactive workshop, specifically designed for experienced clinicians. This evidence-based communication skills module will deepen your skills and provide transformative strategies for navigating even the most complex communication challenges.
This workshop builds on participants' existing communication skills, offering practical ways to enhance your approach to patient interactions. Exercises in active listening, display of empathy, and facilitating mutual respect, you’ll refine your ability to engage in collaborative, patient-centered care that evidence shows enhances outcomes and strengthens trust in critical healthcare moments.​
Dr. Mills and Dr. Mary Cossich—both experts in paediatric palliative care and communication—bring a wealth of experience in teaching and facilitating workshops for healthcare professionals. Their unique combination of clinical experience and innovative teaching will equip you with the advanced techniques required to lead difficult conversations with confidence and compassion.​
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Workshop Highlights
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Optimise Communication Skills: Evidence-based approaches to person-centred communication
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Empowerment Through Communication: Feel better able to manage challenging conversations with compassion
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A focus on embedding learnt communication skills into your own clinical teaching practice
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Interactive Learning: Hands-on sessions with simulated patients where all participants will be involved in a shared learning experience
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Evidence-Based approaches: Practical, research-driven techniques you can immediately apply to your clinical practice
Dr. Nicholas J.W. Mills
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Paediatrician and Palliative Care Physician at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, South Australia.
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Nick is a member of the International Association for Communication in Healthcare and has experience in teaching communication skills to multidisciplinary professionals
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Nick’s current PhD research is on the topic of tailoring serious illness communication in order to optimise the person-centred and collaborative approach to communication with children and families
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He is also trained in paediatric medical medication which requires the development of advanced active listening and conflict management skills, and also employs hypnotherapy skills in his clinical work
Dr Mary Cossich
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Paediatrician and Palliative Care Physician, Head of Unit, South Australian Paediatric Palliative Care Service, Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH)
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Mary has a special interest in improving communication in healthcare, medical complexity and complex symptom management
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She is passionate about providing expert interdisciplinary care to all children and families
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Mary believes in fostering compassionate care by leaning into difficult conversations and using person-centred communication to support children and families experiencing life-limiting illness
Building a Resilience Shield
Dr Dan Pronk will lead half-day workshops on Saturday and Sunday on how to build and assess your individual reseilience and provide a framework on how to support junior doctors and students to develop greater workplace resilience.
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International best-selling book “The Resilience Sheild” provided a ground breaking guide to overcoming adversity, written by Australian SAS veterans Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk DSC and Tim Curtis. The lessons learnt from combat were combined with contemporary workplace stress and anxiety research and clinical expertise to create a dynamic, multi-factorial and modifiable model that identifies the key characteristics of resilience and provides a framework for defence against chronic and acute stressors.
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Workshops will provide a deeper understanding of the constituent elements of resilience and stress and an overview of the Resilience Shield model. Accompanied by an interactive workbook, using a mixture of small group, role play and didactic learning, the workshops will explore the practical methodologies, tools and techniques that research has demonstrated contribute most to the development of a strong Resilience Shield.
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​​​It is strongly encouraged to attend both days, however material will be presented in a way that allows for single day attendance.​​​
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Workshop highlights
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Self-audit of current resielience profile
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Leave with immediately actionable tools to strengthen individual resilience methodologies and awareness
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Understand how to better promote resilience in your patient population
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Develop the capacity to better guide trainee doctors towards greater reseilience in the work place
Dr. Dan Pronk
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Co-developed a training platform for building reseilience in high stress and everyday environments
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Frequent keynote speaker and workshop facilitator
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Best selling author of 3 books
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Current acute care physician
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Former frontline special operations doctor in the SAS
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Commendation for Distinguished Service
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NATO Special Operations Forces Medical Expert Panel Member
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