UNIT 4 PUBLIC RELATION
Structure
'4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Concept of Public Relation
4.2.1 Definition
4.2.2 Purposes
4.2.3 Factors Related to Public Relation
4.3 Establishing and Maintaining Public Relation
4.3.1 Methods of Public Relation
4.3.2 Tools and Techniques of Public Relation
4.4 Barriers of Public Relations
4.5 Role of a Nurse in Developing Public Reliltion
4.6 Let Us Sum Up
4.7 Key Words
4.8 Answers to Check Your Progress
4.9 Further Readings
4.0 OBJECTIVES
After completing this unit you should be able to:
explain its application to nursing situation;
recognise the importance of the principles of public relation;
describe the methods of public relation;
identify the barriers of public relation; and .
improve the efficiency of the nursing services through interpersonal relationship and
co-operative service.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
You already learnt different aspects of nursing administration. Now you will be introduced
to one of the important aspects public relation. This is an era of industrialization
mechanization, advances in technology. Nurse as a manager and care provider have the
unique opportunity to interact with'patient relation or family members and other team
members. Public relation is very much essential for rendering quality care to the patient. It
depends upon the value, philosophy and culture of that hospital.
Hospital administration vastly differs from that most others fields. Public relation's aspect
of the hospitals are more pervasive, delicate.
Health Department of the Government is a tax supported public agency of that community
it serves. Its existence in a democracy depends on final analysis of their wish to maintain it.
In the long run this wish can be sustained only by public understanding and satisfaction. In
the modem thinking, health is for the people, with the people, of the people. Let us begin
with the concept of public relation.
CONCEPT OF PUBLIC RELATION
Relationship means how you are talking, behaving, treating, providing services and
logistics, helping to the patient and hislher relatives from entering in the hospital to
discharge and follow up of the patient.
Communication According to Millett, public relations has four primary aspects:
i) Learning about public desires and aspirations.
ii) Advising the public about what it should desire.
iii) Ensuring satisfactory codtact between public and Government officials.
iv) Informing the public about what it should desire.
public relations means customer understandingand attitude. It includes techniques,
practices and activities designed to win the good will of people individually and
collectively. Public relation is a'two way process - not only involves flow of information,
reactions and understanding from the agency but also to the reverse direction.
Most of the time we mix up public relation with publicity and internal communication. Let
us define the term public relation.
4.2.1 Definition
You have already learnt process of communication techniques and skills in communication
and you also know effective communication. Now you will come to know public relation
and its definition.
Public relations is any situation act or word that influence people.
Public relations is the term applied to all activities and attitudes intended to judge,
influence or control opinion of any groups of persons in the interest of any individual,
group or institution.,
Public relations is the skilled communication of ideas to the various public with the
objective of producing a desired result.
4.2.2 Purposes
Purposes of public relation are:
i) Vast increase in Government hnctions. Public should be aware of the various
facilities offered to it by the Government.
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ii) To sell the policies and programmes of its agencies to build up good will and good
understanding with the people.
iii) To minimise the overstressed situation. Good public relations has the power to control
public and brings customer satisfaction.
' 42.3 Factors Related to Public Relation
Let us discuss factors related to Public Relation.
Organisational and Management Factors
Philosophy and value systems of the hospital Management.
Congenial atmosphere and importance of patient care.
Infrastructure for health care.
Appearance Public Relation
Success of the good public pelation depends on dress and other aspects of personal
appearance.
Behaviour
It is the most important factor of good public relation. Courtecy and mannerism to be
followed throughout interaction.
Complaint
Each and every complaint should be respected and thoroughly investigated, so that
customer can develop trust and faith in the organisation.
Training of Employees
Good public relations do not occur by chance, planned training programme is required for
workers to make them aware about the organisation, its goal, objectives, programmes,
effects of good public relations, otherwise to equipped them for skilled communication.
Competency
It breeds respect when a worker solves the problem skillfully with knowledge, it influence
the people, brings customer satisfaction.
Transactional Analysis
It plays a vital role among public relation workers of the organisation need to be unbiased.
They have to be master in the techniques of sensitising people and evaluate the reality. It
helps in understanding how people interact and transact.
4.3 ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING PUBLIC
RELATION
.Let us examine the methods of public relations.
It is an art and science. So some methodology and techniques need to be followed to
influence the people for effective public relation.
4.3.1 Methods of Public Relation
Personal Contact
Informal and formal contacts between public employeeslpatientifamily memberslrelatives
or group of people. Addressing should be itiendly routine round to be made when they are
waiting and admitting. Each contact should be regarded as contact rather than routine one.
Correspondence
A significant proportion of the contact of an organisation is made through correspondence.
During correspondence one should be very careful and should give special attention with
going to out going correspondence. Organisation should have a written practice of
Communication Audio-visual Methods
Radio and television are the significant means of public education and entertainment. So
careful programming is needed. People are very much fond of entertainment. So soundless
entertainment programme with different types of information about services, procedures of
the institution and the support that organisat~onwants from public to be shown when they
are waiting in reception, OPD, Emergency and in the ward.
Media
May be the customer or worker of that organisation or community play a greater role in
public relation.
4.3.2 Tools and Techniques of Public Relation
No definite technique and device build up public relation. The key of a successful
programme of public relation is the desire to sell the organisation and its programme and
not the individual. Each community consists of public of different casts, rich, poor, age,
sex, so different approach, and tool to be followed. .
Co-ordination is a significant tool of good public relation. Public relation requires joint
efforts of the Government Institution and non Government Institution and different
departments of the Institution. All should feel member of one family. It helps in
maintaining discipline. Arrangement of monthly and quarterly meeting is needed for
co-ordination.
Spirit of Competition
A spirit of competition has to be built in among the workers of different sections, which .
will be helpful for establishing good public relation. Worker must recognise that it is a tool
or device to provide effective quality care.
Interpersonal Relstionship
It has tremendus effect on good public relation. Vertical and horizontal boss and
subordinate relationship with patient and public. I.P.R. creates a win situation and brings
co-operation, creates harmony in the relationship between all staffs and public.
Involvement of Public
Involvement brings oneness or we feeling. F'ublic can identify and understand their
problem and also find out the way of solving problem.
4.4 BARRIERS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Though we know that public relation has the tremendous effect on quality care but to
establish public relation we often face barriers. Let us see what are the barriers in ~ u b l i c
Lack of Technique and Skill Public Relation
It is well known that a sword when it is in the hands of a soldiers in the field it acts as a
weapon but if it is in the new hands invites not only problem but also creates hazards. We
may think sophistication, advanced technology will influence the customer but infact if
workers are not skilled enough about human relation, then it is quite impossible to establish
good public relation.
Lack of Awareness about Different Languages
Language is another most important barriers of public relation we can reach to the people
through interaction. Mastery in the language is very much needed to maintain public
relation sometimes even use of small ward creates misunderstanding. So understanding of
colloquial is also very important.
Physical Environment
It provides comfort not only to the customer but also to the workers. Unfavorable physical
environment like inadequate light, lack of supplies and equipments, too many patients and
visitor hindrance work - reflects on public good relation.
Attitude
For the success of any type of work need 98% attitude and 2% mechanics. Often
professionalism clouded over human factor. Attitude is another main criteria to win the
good will of others, so commitment to win the good will of customer play a crucial role for
good public relation.
Misunderstanding
Hospital deals with different types of customer with different religion and culture. So
chance of misunderstanding is very high. Mismderstanding reflects hostility creates lot of
problem.
4.5 ROLE OF A NURSE IN DEVELOPING PUBLIC
RELATION
As you know nurses spent more time and interact with patients, their relatives or visitors,
so they have greater role, scope and responsibility in establishing and sustaining an
excellent relationship with public. They play different role in different time and in different
situation.
As a Care Provider
As a care provider nurse should be very careful to satisfy the patient need. Need vary from
one individual to another. Need also vary according to time and situation. Holistic approach
to be applied. She has to keep in mind the following things while she will be on duty:
Understanding of human relationship.
Build up good interpersonal relationship.
Provide care to the patient with empathy and love.
Create a comfortable and cheerful atmosphere.
Communication Patient treated as human being considering as an unique individual.
Warm feeling and send off.
As a Communicator
Fundamental to any fonn of communication are its underlying purposes and the value of
ideas or information that is transmitted to public of that community which it serves.
Periodic communication about illness and recovery is very essential to the:
Patient
Friends and Relatives
Other hospital staff
Nurses and student nurses
Effective communication depends upon influence, past and present experience, social
organisation, cultural patterns and existing condition and situation.
As a Liaison Off~cer
Nurses do not work in isolation. They are the part of team. One of the important task of
good public relation is the co-ordination among different categories of staff of that hospital
and member of other agencies.
Local Representatives.
Communication Meha.
Co-ordination and co-operation minimise the conflicts for optimal.function. Periodical
meetings should be arranged for exchange of views and ideas and sharing of opinions.
As an Educator and Counsellor
Training and counselling is very much essential to make optimal utilization of the human
resources and to gain the confidence. Training and counselling is essential for all categories
of staff - How to talk and behave with the customer at various point of Institution
arrangement of periodic classes to assess at various points, what are the problems faced by
the public and how to solve them.
As an Administrator
Nurse as an administrator plays a crucial role in developing and to sustain public relation to
get the co-operation from customer. Counselling also have same importance for
demotivated staff and customer.
Participation in decision malung
Cleanliness of the hospital
Cost of care
Registration
Billing system
Recording system
Reception counter should be manned with responsible and skilled people. Device should
develop for periodic assessment of the needs, wishes, understanding and motivational
inclination of the customer and also worker.
Feedback from customer should be taken.
Check Your &
P 5
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List the role of nur4 in developing public relation. ;
4.
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Public Relation
4.6 LET US SUM UP
This unit deals with public relation, factors, method related to public relation. Nurse is in
close contact with patient, relatives or visitors. So she can contribute a lot in establishing
public relation, helping, assisting and attitude of welcoming visitars.
Overall objective of public relation is thz development of fruitful, mutual understanding
and co-operation for smooth running of the institution. Public relation should be established
from the inception of the organisation, not to be developed in the stress situation. It is duty
of all categories of staff oithe organlsation and public of that corninunity it serves. It is
expected that after completing this unit you will apply in your working place in hospital or
an institution.
a,
417 KEY WORDS
Correspondence : Exchange of letters.
Philosophy : Motto thinking and belief about the service of the
institution.
Policies : Guiding Principles.
Programme : Sequence of activities designed to implement policies
and accomplish objectives.
P.R.O. : Public Relation Oflicer.
Transactional Analysis : It is a method of analysing and understanding the
behaviour of an individual.
4.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Check Your Progress 1
Please refer sub-section 4.2.2.
Check Your Progress 2
Organisation and '\iranagementfactors
Appearance
Behaviour
Complaint
Tmining of employer
Competency
Transactional analysis
Check Your Progress 3
1) Personal coiltact
Correspondence
Audio-visual Aids
I.P.R.
Involvement of Public
Check Your Progress 4
Lack of technique and skill
Lack of awareness about different language
Physical Environment
Attitude
Misunderstanding
Check Your Progress 5
As a Care provider
As a Communicator
As a liaison officer
As an educator and counsellor
As an administrator
4.9 ' FURTHER READINGS
Avasthi, A. and Maheswari, S., Public Administration, Educational Publisher, Agra, 1995,
p. 247.
Goyal, B.C., Hand Book of Hospital Administration, p. 58.
Class Note of Prof. Mukherjee, S.P., Social Institute of Business and Management,
Kolkatta.
