Communication satisfaction of professional nurses working in public hospitals.

Aim: 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.

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

Method: 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.

Results: 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.

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

Implications For Nursing Management: 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.