Evolution of the Problem - Essay Example

Barriers to Effective Communication in the Workplace - Evolution of the Problem Issues relating to inefficient communication in heirarchial institutions is almost universal. While the enlisted juniors and officers in Naval Health Clinic, Great Lakes had their specific set of problems relating to career enhancement and re-deployment, other communication issues of a general nature have always been identified by professionals in health care. The retention and attrition of nursing staff in hospitals has been studied in great detail as evidenced by the wealth of literature pertaining to the topic.

However, communication as a barrier to work place efficiency has not been studied in a specific military hospital context. Due to the specialised nature of their services and the unique administrative framework, we expect substantial variations in the results of such investigations. Primarily, the NHCGL is a military hospital that aims at higher standards of service but not necessarily higher profitability. The administration is naturally not inclined to streamlining the organisation and optimising functionality as long as the services are not visibly affected.

As the organisation grows larger it beocmes more and more difficult to alter the existing systems and the urger to continue with the current practices becomes stronger; thwarting efforts of change.The structure of most hospitals evolved as a response to their main function: which is "to cure patients with a great diversity of diseases in an effective way and with a minimum of risk, using most advanced medical techonologies available" (Don and Wolff, 1988). The core activities are performed by highly trained professionals- medical specialists in the case of hospitals.

Their activities are highly standardized and they work relatively independetly of their colleagues though in close contact with their patients. This gives the health care organiational structure a certain looseness so that the tasks of the other members are not well defined. This was documented as early as 1988 in a study by Don Wallis and Charles Johannes Wolff. Their study also showed that the differentiation of tasks and the flexibility of rotations were lesser in public hospitals as compared to private hospitals.

Hospitals have less formalisation and functional differentiation than industrial firms. In hospitals, the number of different medical specialisations and the differentiation of nursing departments are quite independent of each other.In summary, the existence of various communication related issues have been allowed to exist and even develop in the military facility due to the absence of any incentive to combat the same. The vastness of the structure, the intricate beauraucratic framework and the huge number of staff involved have all contributed to the diffusion of concerns.

The unavailability of a democratic, open channel communication for the redressal of greivances has allowed the issue to be sidelined so far. the solution to the problem also lies here - In the creation of a system of checks that constantly tabulates personnel satisfaction and allows communication between senior management and the junior staff. ReferencesDon Wallis & Charles Johannes Wolf, Stress and Organisational Problems in Hospitals: Implications for Management, 1988, Published by RoutledgeIs Anybody Managing the Store?

National Trends in Hospital Performance John R Griffith,  Jeffrey A Alexander,  Richard C Jelinek,  David A Foster,  Gary A Mecklenburg.  Journal of Healthcare Management.  Chicago:Nov/Dec 2006.  Vol. 51,  Iss. 6,  p. 392-405, discussion 405-6 (15 pp.)Rebecca McCabe, Increasing retention of nursing staff at hospitals: aspects of management and leadership, 2005, Australian Bulletin of LabourLacey, L.M. (2003), Called into Question: What Nurses Want, Nursing Management, vol. 34, pp 25-26.