SOCIAL NETWORK MAPPING IN MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY
Sociograms are a graphic representation of social relationships or interpersonal interactions within a workplace. It can be used to analyze choices and preferences in a group and are developed based on different criteria, such as the channels of communication, channels of influence, and social relations (Durland, 2015). This social network assignment aims to design a sociogram or social network map exemplifying relationships in the workplace. Organizational activities are based on interpersonal interactions and collaboration to achieve organizational objectives. The nodes in a social network map represent individuals or groups of people, and the links show relationships and flow of activities in the nodes.
Explanation of the sociogram
I work as a full-time faculty member in a mental health facility as the nurse manager. We have a three-day therapy session per week, and this involves interactions with different health professionals and also interdepartmental consultations. As the manager, I decided to analyze the daily work relationships using a sociogram. As the author of the sociogram, I am at the center of the sociogram, but the relationships do not revolve around me. In the organizations, I am responsible for developing positive nurse-patient, and interdepartmental relations to foster a positive work environment, effective communication, and team collaboration. Nurse managers act as the driver in a health unit, and the outcome of every action depends on the nature of the relationship established in the workplace.
I developed my sociogram based on the three-day interaction with health care personnel, patients, and their family members. I interacted with the nursing service manager and the other departmental nurse managers in our weekly meeting to discuss how to improve patient outcomes and presented my concerns regarding mental health in the community. My interaction with the nurses involved receiving patient reports and any concerns in the health facilities and to ensure that students are accorded all the help they need and create a conducive work environment. I also considered the interdisciplinary interactions with our psychiatrist consultant, doctors, interns, pharmacists, radiologists, and all members that support patient- therapy initiatives. During the therapy sessions and follow-up activities, I interacted with the patient and their families while inquiring about their progress and the attitude towards mental health. It is common for patients to face stigmatization; therefore, we involve the family in the therapy session for them to understand a patient’s condition and contribution to the healing process.
In figure 1. illustration, the boxes represent the different health personnel I interact with in my daily practice. The two-way arrows show the interrelationships between the various staff. The arrows represent the channels of communication, which can be face-to-face, text messages, or phone calls. I use phone calls to consult doctors, and also the nurses can call in case of any emergencies or urgent information. At the same time, the nodes can either be individuals or groups, and the node colors represent the different roles played by the groups. The blue node colors represent the relationships and roles within the mental health unit, such as registered nurses, nursing students, and their impact on patient care. The yellow color represents the relationships with other nursing departments, mostly where mental health patients are admitted from (outpatient) or hospitalized based on their condition (gynecology and medical department) and interdisciplinary interaction such as the lab technicians and doctors. The green color represents the top management teams with our direct communication being the nurse service manager or nurse director.
The lines represent the means of communication, which either be face to face or via telephones and are bi-directional. The nodes are interconnected if the groups regularly interact while unconnected represent distant but valuable relationships (Hogan, Carrasco, & Wellman, 2017). The different shapes show different workplaces and disciplines. In the weekly therapy sessions, the nurses, physicians, and other health professionals interact to improve the health outcomes of the patients. The doctors and patients not only interact with the inpatient but also those who attend weekly clinics. In my part-time job, I work as a Family Nurse Practitioner attending to different populations suffering from mental health and other health conditions. The relationships between the two facilities chips in whereby in the clinic patient who is diagnosed with other health conditions in the mental health facility are attended to in the clinic, and follow-up services are conducted there. Thus, all the relationships within and without the workplace are valuable in improving interpersonal and team collaboration.
Reflection
Nurse managers play an essential role in fostering quality, safe, and effective health services. Every nurse manager should be equipped with managerial and leadership skills, nursing core competencies, and effective communication skills. In constructing a sociogram, I considered the different relationships that, in one way or another, contribute to the success of the facility. Lack of good relationships in a health facility in one factor that contributes to poor health outcomes, hence the sociogram clearly illustrates the type of relations that should exist in a workplace and different means of communication (Hyde, & York, 2018). The different shapes represent different attitudes and personalities in the workplace. As much as a nurse needs to be calm and collected to establish a good rapport with mental health patients, I used a star to represent the different attitudes adjusted to by nurses and students effectively interact with different patients. Nurses and students are in the same node because they contributed to patient care and need each other in knowledge, attitude, and behavior development.
I appreciate the open-relationships within our health facility. I utilize telephones in contacting the clinic when following or referring patients. Furthermore, we have a common number that facilitates a direct link between the patient and health providers. Many patents all to express their gratitude, seek help, and also to inquire about the side effects of drugs. Face to face communication is utilized within the health facility. For example, during the therapy session, it is mandatory that the patient, doctor, family, and students must be present. We have six doctors and seven nurses per shift, and we divide our selves into groups to increase work efficiency. Every Friday, I have a meeting with students where they share their experiences and ask questions to foster a good understanding of patient conditions. Text exchange is not a common channel, but, in the nursing groups, I share text messages concerning meetings, or important information I need to pass to al members.
If members of different disciplines interact with one another for a period of time, they will tend to display interaction patterns. Some interactions can be easy, while others are hard, and a sociogram is used to present the relationships among people or groups visually. A sociogram can also ben used in identifying factors that hinder or prevent socialization in an organization by displaying specific patterns of daily interactions (Hyde & York, 2018). In my communication with families, the sociogram serves as a guide for collaboration and consolidation of services to meet different health needs. Nurses should identify both positive and positive expectations to help organize and give a clear understanding of what is being visualized.
In conclusion, the use of a sociogram helped me visualize the relationships in the workplace and to improve the areas of weakness. I can clearly understand that success in every aspect of care requires a different team to converge in facilitating the care of patients. So, the patient, as the core element, has the right to understand what is going on and their role in the treatment process. The sociogram also demonstrated the impact I have on the daily work activities and the contribution of different health professionals. Therefore, it is important to value the relations we have and use effective communications in fostering collaborations in a healthcare setting.
References
Durland, M. M. (2015). Exploring and understanding relationships. New Directions for Evaluation, 2005(107), 25-40. Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ev.159
Hogan, B., Carrasco, J. A., & Wellman, B. (2017). Visualizing personal networks: Working with participant-aided sociograms. Field Methods, 19(2), 116-144. Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1525822X06298589
Hyde, R. W., & York, R. H. (2018). A technique for investigating interpersonal relationships in a mental hospital. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 43(3), 287. Retrieved from: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1949-00702-001
Figure 1.