School of Nursing

March 25, 2016

Conference: Motivational Interviewing

The UW School of Nursing Continuing Nursing Education will offer a conference, Motivational Interviewing, on July 15 at Washington State University in Spokane.

Patient decisions about changing health-related behaviors are complicated. Research indicates that passively receiving medical information and advice alone does not result in lasting behavior change. Furthermore, health professionals become frustrated when patients respond with resistance or apathy and do not make healthy choices. What reduces patient resistance and increases the chance of positive outcomes? Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based communication style that has been shown to have a dramatic effect on patient outcomes in over 200 international clinical trials. MI creates a partnership between health professionals and their patients, enabling them to work together as “co-experts” towards shared goals.

  • MI helps people identify their own motivation for making lifestyle changes.
  • MI is the opposite of telling people what to do and how to do it.
  • MI activates discussion about change and minimizes talk about being stuck in unhealthy habits.
  • MI involves specific, measurable skills designed to create effective interactions.

This workshop provides practical skills for engaging people in the process of change and guiding them to find solutions. Teaching methods include lecture, demonstration, discussion, skill development and case study analysis.