staff morale

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Is anyone concerned about the morale on their floor? Do you have any suggestions on how to boost morale?

The morale on our floor is good on the days we have sufficient staffing, and it stinks on the days we are short staffed. Having to apologise to pts all day, because you couldn't get there fast enough just beats you down. So, I would say sufficient staffing would do it for me everytime.

Hire more staff?

Give raises?

Organize via a union?

Have a drawing for a Porshe?

Our morale has improved so much since we got permanent schedules, which gives us a set group of nurses to work with every week. When you work with the same people for a while, you get to where you really click, and when you are invested in a group, it makes you more patient and willing to work things out.

Specializes in Peds Critical Care, NICU, Burn.

Having stable administration helps. When there's a lot of change and unrest going on in the ranks, it's hard to keep things together.

I do think working with the same crew can help--if everyone in your group works well together. Sometimes this can backfire.

Saying "thank you" when somebody helps out goes a long way, too!:)

Agree with rdhdnrs.... we have "tracks" work the same schedule for 12 monts unless you ask for a day off..... you can plan appoints. and such. staff does the schedule too.

Poor morale, as stated before, in my unit, comes from short staffing, constantly changing rules on floating and call time, and a manager that leaves at 3pm regardless... when you're sucking wind because she lacks the skills to staff, yet it VERY capablel to tell you when you don't need more

Sorry, suggestions;

If your manager is sucking wind with you..... you find it easier to give 110%. I've been in management, aware of the long hours.... but even once or twice a month would make a huge difference!

:) thats a tough one when you work with negative obese managers....in my opinion try to focus on the people who are positive and professional and feed into and off of them.:) Good Luck. oh yea can you come see my new house tomorrow morning?

in 30+ years this is the worst i have seen. gone are the times that the manager got down in the trenches with you. weekends are the only time i feel that management cares and that is because of our supervisor. when we need her she is there doing patient care and answering phones. she is one in a million. most supervisors just stand and watch, and say sorry no help. no suggestions on how to make it better. although the 2-3 nurses i work most with try to boost each others morale as much as possible--bring in goodies(bad for diet) hand out compliments(better for diet) and offer to help each other if we see one of us drowning.

I agree with all those above that a supervisor or manager that can validate the problems and stresses that you go through and attempts to help out, goes a long way.

I also think that if everyone addresses the reason why morale may be low (ie. not enought staff, issues with management, problems with scheduleing,etc.) and attempts to work together and brainstorm ways to reduce the problem, it gives a feeling of empowerment to the employees and raises morale and "team work".

I also agree with mdowns too that you should try to feed into and out of those that currently have high morale. All too often it is too easy for those with low morale to bring down the rest of the group rather than those with high morale bringing them up. I think that's true of everything, we concentrate so much on the negative and hardly ever on the positive.

The morale on my unit is not that great. We have a lot of travellers on our unit that are treated like gold, whereas we are not.

This is nothing personal against travellers. These are very nice, smart nurses.

They get their scheduling in first and our schedules work around THEM. They do not work weekends or holidays. My manager makes a big fuss over them, praises them constantly, while berating us. And believe me, we all do the same work.

So. Let me just say. There are some problems.

My unit manager should be good to her staff. Try to retain US instead of the travellers. WE will probably stick around. The travellers will not.

Cherry

we have get togethers and take turns at one anothers home or meet at a local place for dinner, lunch or just coffee club

sometimes we even bring along our other half and meet our other "family" that they hear about so often but do not meet on a regular base

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