Human Relations Skills of Respiratory Therapy Supervisors

Abstract

The most critical factor in effective supervision is the supervisor's skill in human relations. A standardized test, the Supervisory Inventory of Human Relations, was administered to 39 credentialed respiratory therapists who were responsible for the work performance of at least two other individuals. It was found that (1) respiratory therapy supervisors are nearly comparable in this respect to industry's middle and top level management supervisors whose scores were available as norms, (2) respiratory therapy supervisors showed a lack of understanding in the principles of learning/training, development of positive attitudes, and the supervisor's role in management, and (3) relatively few of the subjects had received any formal prepara-tion in human relations or pursued an advanced degree. Statistical analysis indicated that those who had attended human relations classes had scored significantly higher on the Inventory than those who had not (P < .01).