THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AS OPPOSED TO THOSE WORKING OUTSIDE THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR


Keskin Ç., Boztosun D., Üstün Ö., Ener D., Yaman F.

Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, vol.10, no.20, pp.174-182, 2024 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

Abstract

Communication is an inevitable method of interaction that exists wherever humans are present. Communication skills are not innate abilities; rather, they are skills that can be learned and developed. Healthcare workers use mutual communication more frequently compared to employees in other sectors. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the communication skills of secretaries working in the healthcare sector with those working outside of the healthcare sector in Kayseri. The data collection tools used in the study were a demographic information form and the Communication Skills Assessment Scale (CSAS), developed by Korkut (1996a, 1997). Data were collected from 375 secretaries who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 program. While no significant differences related to demographic characteristics were found, significant differences were detected in communication skill scores. It is anticipated that this study will raise awareness in the existing literature and that conducting similar studies in different institutions and sectors will help to address communication deficiencies at an institutional level by assessing the results separately.