Satisfaction and importance of job communication and interpersonal relationships among nurses and first-line supervisors

Job-communication satisfaction and its importance to nursing staff and first-line supervisors is important because people in complex health care delivery systems tend to dehumanize communication (Duldt, 1989, 1990b). The purpose of the study is to determine the level of satisfaction first-line supervisors and staff nurses have of job-communication and interpersonal relationships, and the degree of importance staff members and first-line supervisors place on job-communication and interpersonal relationships within a mid-sized acute care facility in an urban area. The theoretical framework is Duldt's Humanistic Nursing Communication Theory (Hersey & Duldt, 1989).The population was all staff nurses and first-line supervisors employed in inpatient services at a midwest hospital. The sample was comprised of about 231 registered nurses and 61% first-line supervisors who volunteered to answer the Job-Communication Satisfaction Importance Questionnaire (JCSI). The JCSI was developed by B. W. Duldt (1990) based on the work of Downs, Hazen, and Thiry as cited in Duldt (1990a). The procedures for the protection of human subjects were followed.Findings revealed that supervisors and staff nurses were satisfied with aspects of job-communication. Supervisors and staff nurses rated six of the eight topics on the JCSI as important aspects of job-communication. Aspects of job-communication and interpersonal relationships were important to supervisors and staff nurses in the facility studied.The conclusions from the study were: (a) satisfaction with job-communication and interpersonal relationships can be improved, (b) aspects of job-communication and interpersonal relationships identified in the study were important to supervisors and staff nurses. Nursing supervisors are in key positions to influence job -communication satisfaction. Organizations undergoing rapid changes need to develop and maintain communication which is satisfactory to human beings working in the organization.School of NursingThesis (M.S.