Identifying nurse managers' essential communication skills: an analysis of nurses' perceptions in Oman.

AIM(S): The aim of the present study was to analyse nurses' perceptions of the communication qualities that are essential for nurse managers to carry out their jobs effectively. BACKGROUND: An examination of effective communication may help to identify nurse manager behaviours that promote dignity and respect. METHOD(S): A paper-and-pencil survey collected open-ended data from 1526 nursing professionals (RNs) representing 22 hospitals in Oman. Qualitative content analysis was conducted first, followed by a quantitative descriptive analysis. RESULTS: The participants reported frustration with nurse managers who seemed overly focused on mistakes. Many participants felt there was little to no appreciation for tasks that were well done. Nurses also disliked being disciplined openly in front of colleagues or patients. CONCLUSION(S): The participants stressed that nurse manager feedback should be shared privately and framed in a positive and constructive tone. Active listening, team collaboration and the avoidance of discrimination/favouritism were also emphasised. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: A supportive and communicative work environment promotes nurses' dignity and respect. Embarrassing nurses in front of other health care professionals may be counterproductive. Instead, the study results suggested privately discussing concerns in a positive, constructive tone is more likely to foster nurse trust and dignity.

Ineffective participation: reactions to absentee and incompetent nurse leadership in an intensive care unit.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to analyse reactions to ineffective leader participation in an intensive care unit (ICU). BACKGROUND: Critical examination of leadership failures helps identify nurse manager behaviours to avoid. METHOD: An online survey collected data from 51 interacting healthcare providers who work in an intensive care unit. RESULTS: Participants reported dissatisfaction with nurse leaders who were perceived as absent or ill prepared. Participants categorized intensive care unit productivity and morale as moderate to low. Multiple regression suggested the best predictor of perceived unit productivity was supervisor communication; the best predictor of employee morale was perceived leader mentoring. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive care unit nurses reported wanting active participation from their leaders and expressed dissatisfaction when supervisors were perceived as absent or incompetent. Ineffective leader participation significantly correlated with lower employee perceptions of productivity and morale. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Senior managers should recruit and develop supervisors with effective participation skills. Organizations primarily concerned about productivity should focus on developing the communication skills of nurse leaders. Units mainly concerned with employee morale should emphasize mentorship and role modelling. Formal assessment of nurse leaders by all intensive care unit team members should also be used to proactively identify opportunities for improvement.

Impact of communication training on physician expression of empathy in patient encounters.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether an educational intervention that focused on physician communication training influenced physician empathic expression during patient interactions. METHODS: This study used a quantitative research method to investigate the influence of communication training on physician-expressed empathy using two measures (global and hierarchical) of physician empathic behavior. RESULTS: The differences in global empathy scores in the physician training group from baseline to follow-up improved by 37%, and hierarchical scores of physician empathic expression improved by up to 51% from baseline scores for the same group. CONCLUSIONS: The results strongly supported the hypotheses that training made a significant difference in physician empathic expression during patient interactions demonstrated by both outside observer measures of global ratings and hierarchical ratings of physician empathic behavior. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These findings have significant implications for program design and development in medical education and professional training with the potential to improve patient outcomes.