76 unit 2 | Working Within the Organization
and cultural influences also impede communication.
Previous life experiences and preconceived ideas
about other cultures also influence how people
communicate.
Semantic Barriers
Semantic refers to the meaning of words.
Sometimes, no matter how great the effort, the
message just does not get across. For example, words
such as neat, cool,and bad,may convey meanings
other than those intended. Many individuals have
learned English as a second language and therefore
understand only the literal meaning of certain
words. For example, to many people,coolmeans
interesting, unique, or clever (e.g., “This is a cool
way to find the vein.”). To someone for whom the
word coolrefers only to temperature (e.g., “It is cool
outside.”), the preceding statement would make
very little sense.
Gender Barriers
Men and women develop dissimilar communication
skills and are inclined to communicate differently.
Often, they give different meanings to conveyed
information or feelings. This may be related to
psychosocial development. Boys learn to use commu-
nication as a way to negotiate and to develop inde-
pendence, whereas girls use communication to con-
firm, minimize disparities, and create or strengthen
closeness (Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2002).
Communication With Colleagues
Information Systems and E-Mail
Computerized Systems
Communication through the use of computer tech-
nology is rapidly growing in nursing practice. A
study conducted by KPMG–Peat Marwick of
health-care systems that used bedside terminals
found that medication errors and use of patient call
bells decreased and nurse productivity increased.
The use of electronic patient records allows health-
care providers to retrieve and distribute patient
information precisely and quickly. Decisions regard-
ing patient care can be made more efficiently with
less waiting time. Information systems in many
organizations also provide opportunities to access
current, high-quality clinical and research data to
support evidence-based practice. Unfortunately,
these rich resources are still underutilized by
most nurses (Dee, 2005). Additional benefits of
computerized systems for health-care applications
are listed in Box 6-2 (Arnold & Pearson, 1992;
Hebda, Czar, & Mascara, 1998).E-Mail
Today, most institutions use e-mail. Using e-mail
competently and effectively requires writing skills;
the same communication principles apply to both
e-mail and letter writing. Remember, when com-
municating by e-mail, you are not only making an
impression but also leaving a written record
(Shea, 2000).
The rules for using e-mail in the workplace are
somewhat different than for using e-mail among
friends. Much of the humor and wit found in per-
sonal e-mail is not appropriate for the work setting.
Professional e-mail may remain informal.
However, the message must be clear, concise, and
courteous. Think about what you need to say before
you write it. Then write it, read it, and reread it.
Once you are satisfied that the message is clear and
concise, send it.
Many executives read personal e-mail sent to
them, which means that it is often possible to
contact them directly. Many systems make it easy
to send e-mail to everyone at the health-care
institution. For this reason, it is important to
keep e-mail professional. Remember the “chain
of command”: always go through the proper
channels.
The fact that you have the capability to send
e-mail instantly to large groups of people does not
necessarily make sending it a good idea. Be careful
if you have access to an all-company mailing list. It
is easy to send an e-mail throughout the systembox 6-2
Potential Benefits of Computer-Based
Patient Information Systems- Increased hours for direct patient care
- Patient data accessible at bedside
- Improved accuracy and legibility of data
- Immediate availability of all data to all members of the
team - Increased safety related to positive patient identification,
improved standardization, and improved quality - Decreased medication errors
- Increased staff satisfaction
Adapted from Arnold, J., & Pearson, G. (eds.). (1992). Computer Applications
in Nursing Education and Practice.N.Y.: National League for Nursing.