Keeping High Team Morale - Essay Example

Fundamental practices are often forgotten by the management and in turn, affect the morale of the nurses. For example, in my first job as a nurse, I witness and experienced low morale among the nursing staff. I had just joined a nursing home and was working on a busy medical oncology floor. Being my first job, I was happy, confident, motivated, and enthusiastic to learn. However, the other staff members were not feeling the same because shortly before I arrived there were many changes made to the unit that they were not pleased with. They had lost some nurses in the transition and the situation had not improved yet. The problem continued after my arrival and more nurses especially experienced ones left leaving the recruits. This led to short-staffing and overworking which in turn reduced even the morale of the new nurses. Many nurses became frustrated, tired, and demoralized. The staff complained about the condition to the management but their complaints were not heard or at least nothing was done about them. The condition deteriorated and more nurses quit their jobs citing low morale as the cause of their leaving.

The condition in the nursing home was highly blamed on the management. The management did not consult the nurses when they were making the changes in the unit. Although the changes might have been good, they ought to have consulted the nurses and involved them in decision-making. The management style used was autocratic and it locked out the nurses from the decision-making process thus demoralizing them. Therefore, to succeed the management ought to have used the democratic style which involves the subordinate staff in the decision-making process (Marriner-Tomey, 2004). This would have boosted their morale and reduced the rate at which they were quitting their jobs.

Question Two: Formal and informal channels of communication
Communication is the process by which two or more people share information. The information can be shared for various reasons including persuading, motivating, or influencing others. In the nursing profession there are two general ways of delivering information, that is, formal and informal communication channels. Formal communication refers to the communication in which the information shared with relevant individuals is organized and managed. The information is often intended to secure coordinated action within the organization. On the other hand, Informal communication is a type of communication that is not organized and managed. Informal communication is casual and is usually passed throughout the organization by word of mouth.

These two channels of communication are used on different occasions depending on the type of audience. As a nurse, I use formal communication in various reports such as audit reports, incident reports, memorandums, and newsletters. I also use formal communication in formal meetings with physicians, chief professional nurses, and other staff members. In communicating with the patients about their health conditions I also use formal communication because it is the language that they can understand very well. Formal communication plays a major role in the nursing profession in that the official channels facilitate similar and habitual information to pass without claiming much managerial attention. However, this type of communication is not often used because it is difficult to use, time-consuming, and can easily be distorted. Communication through this channel also obstructs the free flow of communication.
Informal communication is often used by nurses in their chats. Through this type of communication, they can exchange great ideas, express their worries, dreads, and complaints, and get relieved from their emotional stress. As a nurse, I believe that informal communication is the easiest way of communication in the nursing profession because it is quick. Though most preferred among nurses, informal communication is marred with deception, rumors, and unclear data that may harm the organization.

Although the two channels of communication have their advantages and disadvantages, they must all be used in any organization to ensure an efficient working environment. Through these channels of communication, managers and other staff officials can obtain and pass their ideas to others. They can also improve the relationship among them and further improve their communication. Read More