Employee Engagement survey

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Engagement survey time again. Past experience tells me what a huge waste of my time this is. Fill out the survey, a third party bundles the results, and wonderful changes will be made in the organization! The "business" of the hospital does not care about nurses and they do not care about what the nurses need to do their jobs well. They do not care if patients are taken care of... just fill out the paperwork for accrediting and reimbursement purposes.

Participation and results are supposed to be anonymous. Since nothing is ever done with these and no change is ever made I decided not to fill it out this year. To date I have received five phone calls, the promise of a plaster egg with a coupon for a small prize, the threat that I am ruining the chances of pizza for my co-workers, and the promise to be put in for a gift certificate for 100 dollars or a membership with the hospital's gym. First of all, I have morals and standards and cannot be bought. And secondly, how do they know I have not filled out an anonymous survey?

Its very simple. Nurses WANT respect. Nurses NEED the supplies and people to do their jobs. Period. Yes, I tell my manager that all the time. Yes, I have put it in past engagement surveys. But no matter how many times you put that on a survey, managment doesn't understand the information. These are foreign concepts apparently that are not within their realm of thinking.

So why do they bother with engagement surveys? Is it a source of amusement? Do they need these results to keep Joint Commission or CMS happy? Does my boss's bonus depend on it? What is the deal?

Any thoughts?

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Specializes in Tele/PCU/MedSurg/Travel.

I wondered the same thing after we filled out a similar survey last year. It seems like it would be helpful to publish the results afterwards, along with what steps are being taken to address the concerns voiced by staff. As in: "73% of you indicated X, we are hiring Y numbers of new PCAs to address this." Maybe they don't publish such a report because nothing is done with the results? :)

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Specializes in ER, ICU.
I wondered the same thing after we filled out a similar survey last year. It seems like it would be helpful to publish the results afterwards, along with what steps are being taken to address the concerns voiced by staff. As in: "73% of you indicated X, we are hiring Y numbers of new PCAs to address this." Maybe they don't publish such a report because nothing is done with the results? :)

They don't publish the results because they don't want to acknowledge that they get reamed.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

I've had a simliar experience. I think it is the process that matters to them. They hold the survey then pat themselves on the back reveling in their awesomeness. If they might actually read it they probably discount the negative comments as from the poor performers, malcontents, and bad apples.

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I'd fill one out if I thought it was truly anonymous but I don't, so I won't. :D

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

Our survey letter always states, please don't share with another employee, the survey sent to you has a unique code...so how the heck is this anonymous???

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I work for the same organization. A few years ago, my coworkers and I got together and discussed what we would like to suggest on the survey. We all asked for the same very specific things. (Updated equipment, time and a half for holidays like every other facility had.) We got most of the things we asked for. I think it helps to have multiple requests for the same things. I think it also helps to make the things you're suggesting very specific and tangible, and to fully explain why you need them. ( i.e. We need new IV pumps. The ones we have are X years old and we frequently spend 20 to 30 minutes hunting down a replacement for one that malfunctions. )

Most of it is probably BS, though. :lol2:

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Specializes in Critical Care, Nsg QA.

I think the surveys are used, at least sometimes, for certain awards the hospital is seeking. My experience has been they don't do a whole lot for the employee, but the employer tries to use the information to back what they want it to back. In other words, the survey says (x%) are happy in their position, blah, blah, blah. The employer takes this to whatever awards committee to say, "See, they are happy!" I've found the wording to be very specific so that you really can't say what you want to say about the overall organization because the answer will reflect your direct supervisor (whom you may really like, and is a great person).

I find it frustrating because what I want to say is that overall things aren't so swell, but in my specific area, we are getting by as best we can.

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