Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if specific communication elements contribute to nurses' satisfaction with communication.
Background: Little research has focused on communication satisfaction, which may be linked to overall communication effectiveness, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions.
Methods: Using a nonexperimental, descriptive design, all nurses (N = 866) who worked in 25 intensive care units located in 8 hospitals in Southeast Michigan were anonymously surveyed on their perceptions of registered nurse/doctor of medicine communication and satisfaction with communication.
Results: There were 407 usable surveys. Nurses were more satisfied with open, accurate, and understanding communication (R2 = 0.66). Years of experience in intensive care unit and satisfaction with communication were inversely related (r = -0.10, P = .04). Nurses preferred communicating with attending-level physicians (r = 0.12, P = .02) than with first year residents (r = -0.21, P < .001).
Conclusion: Although touted as a patient safety tool, the timeliness of communication was not associated with communication satisfaction. Nurses are more satisfied with understanding, open, and accurate communication, especially with attending-level physicians.