Communication satisfaction of professional nurses working in public hospitals

This study aimed to establish and describe the level of communication satisfaction that professional nurses experience in selected public hospitals in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa.

The success of any organisation depends on the effectiveness of its communication systems and the interaction between staff members.

Data were collected by means of questionnaires, based on the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), from a sample of 265 professional nurses from different categories, chosen using a disproportionate random stratified sampling method.

The results indicated poor personal feedback between nurse managers (operational managers) and professional nurses, as well as dissatisfaction among nurse managers and professional nurses with regard to informal communication channels. A lack of information pertaining to policies, change, financial standing and achievements of hospitals was identified.

Nurse managers should play a leadership role in bringing staff of different departments together by creating interactive communication forums for the sharing of ideas.

The results emphasise the need for nurse managers to improve communication satisfaction at all levels of the hospital services in order to enhance staff satisfaction and create a positive working environment for staff members.