How to deal with low morale?

rockabye · Apr 21, 2011

What does management have to say on the issue? Not listening to advice or coming up with ways to effectively address complaints is the issue they need to solve. Otherwise, they won't be able to sugarcoat the low morale.

Streamline2010 · Apr 21, 2011

Oh, management might be 100% behind losing the experienced personnel. They cost more. The bean counters think that a nurse is a nurse, so why pay $35 or $38 /hour if you can get a new one for $22 /hr. I hear a lot of griping from experienced nurses that there have been experienced nurses forced out or laid off due to "lack of work," but then those positions are refilled in a matter of months with lower-priced nurses. If that is the case, they have low morale as desired, and there is no way to change that, because it's intentional.

Jxc202 · Apr 21, 2011

Wow that's terrible. Are you in NYC? Because I know this exact same situation is happening in one of the NYC hospitals.

systoly · Apr 21, 2011

I agree with the above posters. This is a management issue and likely won't improve within a reasonable time period. I doubt there's much you can do to improve this single handedly, so evaluate how you can best meet your needs and if you decide to stay make a list of reasons why to help you self motivate. Personally I require three things from a job, a sense of accomplishment, fun and decent pay, realizing that no job will satisfy all of these at all times. I also believe it never hurts to at least window shop (for another job). Market awareness and knowledge of what you might be worth on the market are musts for me.

nfdfiremedic, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2011

I'm on the other side of this equation. I am a department coordinator. I just started in my position three weeks ago, and I came in immediately following a massive wave of departures of experienced staff. Like you described, my department is often staffed with nurses that have a year or less of experience. Also as you described, the nurses that are left are being worked extremely hard because of the understaffing problem. Digging out of this hole is proving extremely difficult for me. Travel nurses will hopefully provide a rapid fix (three travelers are starting next week) and 4 new hires just started, but they won't be "ready to go" on their own for months. I'm having an extremely difficult time finding ways to bolster morale and overcome the negativity in my department. I'm giving it my all, but it is an extremely difficult battle to wage...

The problem I'm having is that staff become frustrated and leave because the staffing is often low. This makes the staffing even lower, which makes the crunch even worse. We scramble to put on new hires, but it takes them months to be fully trained and ready to go. Once they are, they are quickly burned out by the same issue (low staffing) and they leave before the next batch of hires get through the orientation process. As a result, the vicious cycle continues on and on.

leslie :-D · Apr 21, 2011

a great employer is reputed to keep their employees happy.

they understand that happy employees = productive and stable environment.

these employers look at the big picture and manage to integrate all goals cohesively.

their reputation precedes them.:)

conversely, a grievous employer is reputed to lose employees on a constant basis.

they typically have little to no regard of their employees wants/needs.

their botton line is profit (regardless of facility's financial mission/standing).

they realize that new nurses earn less than the experienced ones, which realizes big savings.

these employers see only one facet of the big picture.

and their reputations precede them, as well.

meaning...nothing will change unless new/ethical mgmt enter the picture.

burnout is right around the corner.

time to look elsewhere and move on.

do as much research as possible before interviews.

knowlege really is power.

much luck to you.

leslie

amarilla, RN · Apr 21, 2011

OP, if you didn't mention oncology, I'd think we're on the same floor. I too am coming up on one year on my floor (June) and have been contemplating what to do in consideration of a wave of departures, high stress and changing responsibilities. The more experienced nurses have already hit it on the head: this is a 'climate' problem solved only by a change in management initiative. Unless they change the culture of the unit and begin to incorporate morale and employee satisfaction as priorities, this will not change...

and unfortunately, difficult as it is, it's not something you can change yourself. Sorry to say; I know that I had trouble embracing that there wasn't anything different, better or more helpful that I could do, either. You do have to take care of yourself; your unit isn't your family and you shouldn't be forced or guilted into constantly working short, overextending yourself, or being placed in unsafe situations. I knew it the day I got my 9th admission - 8th and 9th rolled up together, one inappropriate for our floor and unstable - and was absolutely drowning - that this needed to end. Please see that for yourself - for your patients! - before anything adverse happens.

My choice was to remain per diem and job search; while I have no intention of quitting outright, I've cut down my hours and taken another job in a smaller, tightly knit facility where I can be part of a team again. I give them my full time hours and work only EOW (or less) on the floor now. When I can, I float to other floors, too. Surprisingly, my floor was so stressful that I was thankful to float elsewhere!

As others have said: prepare that resume, forgive yourself and prioritize: you need to find a job that works and not depend on the one that's self-destructing.

Good luck. :hug:

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2011

Low morale where I work is currently not short staffing, but too much staffing. Nobody is getting a full weeks work and the "older" nurses are feeling threatened. We're not stupid. We cost more, we have benefits, and we are more vocal in our opposition to the situation.

There is resentment all around and management is oblivious.

Aymese · Apr 21, 2011

Consider finding a job at a Magnet-designated hospital if there is one near you. Usually nursing has a strong voice with administration within these facilities, which really does go a long way in preventing and dealing with problems like the one you describe.

Aeterna, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2011

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Certainly I don't expect to change the working conditions and staffing issues on my own. The issues have been brought up several times at staff meetings, brought to the attention of the CEO (or whatever his title is), grievances have been filed with the union, etc., but still nothing. Our hospital has actually been blacklisted by the union because of the many grievances. But our floor seems to be particularly bad - the float pool nurses have been known to dislike working on our floor because it's "insane" and "chaotic".

On the flip side of that, I don't think we have "magnet hospitals" here in Ontario. I want to continue working in oncology so I imagine the "best" one in the province would be Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, but I've checked their job postings every now and then and nothing. And, of course, not all hospitals offer oncology services so that also makes it a bit more difficult.

And to be honest, I will probably stay only because I feel like I need to gain more experience on an oncology floor before I go and apply for another job as an oncology nurse. I have only recently been chemo certified. I was just wondering what I can do in the meantime for myself to overcome all the negativity on my floor. I'm very much an optimistic and easy-going person, but sometimes, it's hard to ignore a sore spot after constantly hearing about it!