Organisational silence among nurses and physicians in public hospitals

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To define the underlying reasons that lead physicians and nurses who provide patient care and treatment, to maintain silence in their work and how they perceive the consequences of such silence in public hospitals.

Background: The concept of organisational silence is described as employees' avoidance of stating his/her opinions, thoughts and suggestions, which would improve the organisation and enable it to provide better processes or services. This concept has been examined more frequently in the international literature in the past decade, and it has drawn attention as one of the most important barriers to employees' contributions to their organisation.

Design: Descriptive and cross-sectional study.

Methods: The study sample consisted of 601 physicians and nurses who work in five hospitals with bed capacities of 100 or more. The data were collected using a two-part form: an introductory information form and an organisational silence scale.

Results: Administrative and organisational topics were prominent among the reasons for employees of healthcare organisations to remain silent for both physicians and nurses.

Conclusions: The results of this study should be considered by physicians and nurses to realise and improve themselves. Also, decision makers and managers of public hospitals might evaluate and remove organisational and communicative barriers to employees' contributions to their organisations based on these results.

Relevance to clinical practice: Physicians and nurses are responsible for the fulfilment of highly important tasks for their organisations. Their contributions help their organisations remain competitive, improve the health services, ensure and sustain patient safety. Hence, these results will provide information to facilitate an understanding of the topics, causes and consequences of organisational silence among physicians and nurses, two key healthcare professions, and will be helpful in the development of medical and nursing human resources in clinical settings.

Keywords: nurses; organisational silence; physicians; public hospitals.