Assessment of Interpersonal Communication Skills Among Sari Health Centers’ Staff

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Ability to communicate correctly has been one of the life's basic social skills and its significance in human life is to some extent that some of the experts attribute the human growth foundation owners of the leading personal injuries and progress to human relationship. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the interpersonal communication skills among the health care centers staff. METHODS: This study was a descriptive–cross sectional study was done among 85 staff in 12 metropolitan and 9 urban health centers in 2013. According to Kerejsi and Morgan's table, 70 employees were determined as samples. Seventy questionnaires were distributed at the mentioned centers and 60 measurable health questionnaires were examined. Demographic data and measure of communication skills: is a 36-items consisting of seven domains: (general Communication, speaking, listening, interpretation and clarification, asking, feedback, and reward and punishment), obtained data were analyzed by inferential statistical tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and correlation coefficient). RESULTS: Most respondents 38 (63.3%) were women, 57 (95%) married and 17 (28.1 %) age means of 43-47 years. In the study status of the communication skills status of employees employed in health centres, Sari, “Punish and encourage skills” with mean and total standard deviation of 4.11±37.0 assigned the highest score and “feedback” skill with mean and total standard deviation of 3.68±045 assigned the less score. CONCLUSION: Findings showed that public relation skill, listening, reward and punishment in good scope and other skills were in the average scope. No need for training skills of empowerment of staff and their mental health. These results could be used for developing similar instruments in other health workers.