Assessing Styles of Communication
For months staff had been talking to each other about the complex situation they were facing.
As a result, the work atmosphere was tense, people were becoming impatient with one another
and while some openly expressed their anger at the situation, others retreated in silence.
Minor disagreements emerged between the two units. It took a lot of energy not to blame each
other in the situation.
Some days it was hard to be positive. Morale was sinking and some found themselves shutting down. Staff would communicate with each other in passing, others chatted on breaks and many took their work home complaining to spouses and families of the stress associated with increased workloads. There was no time for comforting words or chats at the bedside, no time for supporting families and barely time for care conferences and planning. Under the circumstances, even charting was difficult; there simply was not enough time.
The registered nurses decided to take action but in order to move forward they needed the support of their manager. Communicating the problem to their manager was challenging due to the stresses and strains that had been building over the months. There was a lot of emotion and some simply wanted to vent their frustrations. They knew from previous experience that to get the support of their manager they would have to present the case in a way that would demonstrate their credibility, their knowledge of the situation and willingness to solve the problem.