Staff on your unit meet monthly with the nurse manager. The meeting is dreaded, as it tends to be too long and disorganized. You were sitting down at the meeting and several staff members mumble - "We need to improve this or stop meeting. We have patients to care for, and we are tired." As a new staff member, you are concerned and also have noticed problems with communication in the meeting. When the nurse manager comes in, a staff member asked to speak and says the following: "Many of us think we need to examine our staff meetings. Communication is not great, and the meetings are not productive." The nurse manager is now confronted with a major problem.

Addresses the following:

1. What steps should be taken to assess communication in the meetings?
2. What are common problems found in communication?
3. What are signs that communication is effective?
4. Identify several strategies the staff and nurse manager may use to improve meeting communication. How might they monitor improvement?

Reference: Finkelman, A. (2020). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality care (4th ed.). Pearson.