Effective communication is an extremely important part of any organizational process. Good interpersonal skills are especially important in nursing and are essential for building and maintaining a successful team that can provide the best patient care possible. Lack of communication can lead to a great number of problems, and a nurse should be able to deal with all those problems to avoid their harmful effects on patient care.
One of the most common issues that affect performance is absenteeism, the reason for which is often either personal problems of the staff members or unwelcoming climate at the workplace (Kowalski, 2014). In cases of absenteeism, other nurses usually have to work overtime or take more duties on themselves to cover for an absent worker, which leads to mental and physical exhaustion; if an absent worker is replaced by someone unfamiliar with the routine, they will require more supervision. In any case, productivity will be decreased, as well as staff morale, which, in turn, might lead to more absenteeism. It is very important to deal with that kind of situation in time, through communication with the worker. Despite the fact that it is impossible to eliminate absenteeism completely, as there always will be legitimate reasons to miss work, the goal should be to identify and prevent any unnecessary absenteeism (Kowalski, 2014). Therefore, the ability to maintain high morale and avoid stressful situations is dependent on good interpersonal skills.
Maintaining good relationships in general greatly affects the climate in the workplace. According to Gonzalez (2014), “The nurse manager’s work engagement was most influenced by their interpersonal relationships with nurse administrators” (p. 57). It does not just affect the productivity, but the personal growth of the employees as well.
Communication works as a two-way street. It is important to be able to express yourself and to listen. Good interpersonal skills are necessary to run an effective and successful team.
References
Gonzalez, J. (2014). Developing the role of manager. In P. S. Yoder-Wise (Ed.), Leading and managing in nursing (51-70). Lubbock, TX: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kowalski, K. (2014). Managing personal/personnel problems. In P. S. Yoder-Wise (Ed.), Leading and managing in nursing (450-464). Lubbock, TX: Elsevier Health Sciences.