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Communication—what to say and when to say it - Membership Committee

AORN Journal, Nov, 2002 by Barbara Jane Alcock, Elizabeth Berter, Judy Hawkins, Patricia Madsen, Marion McCall

AORN is a strong and viable organization that is faced with the same challenges as any other business (eg, the need to get timely and correct information to members/stockholders). Staff members at AORN Headquarters use many methods and media to provide information about the Association to members. One responsibility chapter leaders have is to ensure important information and messages from AORN Headquarters, as well as chapter business, are communicated to the grassroots members in a timely and efficient manner.

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The ability to get the right message to the right people at the right time can present a challenge, especially in today's environment of information overload. In this article, the AORN Membership Committee provides some methods to help chapter leaders provide timely communication with the greatest impact for chapter members and the Association.

THE FIVE Ws OF COMMUNICATION

Communication skills are necessary in any sphere of human interaction. According to one author, the benefits of effective communication are too numerous to list because they enhance all aspects of life, from the personal to the professional. (1) The ability to communicate is the sole activity that all people share.

When developing information to be disseminated, one of the first rules for effective communication is to address who, what, when, where, and why. These words often are referred to as the five Ws, and they are used, along with the word how, to elicit information. It is essential to have a clear idea of who the audience is. Why will readers seek the information being sent? Where and when will they be seeing it, and what will they want to get out of it? The quality of communication from your nursing colleagues depends heavily on the effectiveness of the questions they are asked. Questions enhance the communication process and help you gather and disseminate the appropriate information.

As you interact with chapter members, questions that need to be asked and answered include the following examples.

* What are our areas of concern, and what can we do to help solve these issues?

* How can this be done as a team?

* Who will be accountable?

* Why are we still doing it this way?

Effective communicators must be willing to challenge old ideas and seek creative ways to accomplish goals. As chapter leaders begin to ask questions of members (eg, Where does the work of the chapter occur? How can members best meet goals?) effective communication will be key to establishing the right focus for accomplishing the work necessary to achieve the chapter's goals.

GENERATIONAL CHALLENGES

Generational differences exist among nurses, and this can affect the way a chapter relates to its members and how information is relayed and perceived. Many of your institutions are faced with difficulties in recruiting and retaining nurses, as is AORN. For local chapters to continue to survive and thrive in the future, they must do two things. First, chapters need to begin to value the multigenerational mix within the nursing population; second, they need to redefine what it means to be an active member at the grassroots level.

Nurses from the Silent Generation (ie, those born during the Great Depression and World War II) and the Baby Boom generation (ie, those born between 1945 and 1965) founded AORN. In many chapters, older nurses' values, beliefs, and definitions of what a grassroots chapter looks like still hold true today; however, chapters need to embrace the values of all generations to sustain and grow their membership. Integrating nurses from Generation X, who were born between 1966 and 1977, and Generation Y, who were born between 1978 and 1984, into AORN paves the way for our survival as an organization.

Unfortunately, members of the later generations often are stereotyped as being lazy and uninterested in group participation. On the contrary, members of both Generation X and Y value teamwork and building skill sets that will enhance their careers. (2) It is important for chapter leaders and committee members to communicate that AORN supports their needs as perioperative nurses. Just saying "you really need to become a member of AORN" is not enough. Members of Generation X and Y need personal accounts of how AORN has been supportive and a worthwhile investment of time.

Chapters also have to be sensitive to the values of members of these generations. Attending a traditional number of yearly meetings may be seen as interfering with valuable personal time. To gain attention and support from all perioperative nurses, chapters may need to investigate alternative venues and methods for member participation. For example, because members of Generation X and Y prefer short-term goals, they could be a chapter's best committee members. The continued success of AORN depends on the ability to recognize and value the future generations of perioperative nurses.

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

People without a great deal of experience often fall prey to common communication barriers that can prevent their message from reaching its target. Chapter leaders should ask themselves how effectively they are communicating information to members and others who need it. Do they recognize barriers to effective communication? Sometimes the message the reader perceives is very different from the one intended. There are many roadblocks or barriers to effective communication, including the following common examples.

Health Care Industry

Communication—what to say and when to say it - Membership Committee

AORN Journal, Nov, 2002 by Barbara Jane Alcock, Elizabeth Berter, Judy Hawkins, Patricia Madsen, Marion McCall

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