How to keep the team motivated

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 6, 2021

3 hours ago, special1rn said:

Good evening everyone,

I am wondering what everyone does to keep there team and self motivated??? Management is difficult, and this is my first position. I have been a nurse manager for three years and it has been a ride.

Self care techniques for them and for yourself. Also, rewards and recognition for their hard work especially if no one else notices!

RapidRN, ADN, BSN · Apr 25, 2021

So I myself have never been a nurse manager. My older sister is a nurse manager at my hospital and has some of the best staff in the hospital and has a significantly lower turnover than most floors. Coming from an outside view looking in, she runs our cardiac "step-down" and oncology floors. She has become certified in both fields, so she can assist with education of her staff and is a resource for them to ask questions. She focuses on being there for her staff, she is professional in her relationships, but knows every employee on a personal level. She is an advocate for her staff in furthering their education and does everything in her power to build their knowledge base and to try to further their careers. She has built education into her budget for her experienced nurses to obtain their respective certifications even though our hospital does not currently specifically pay for certifications. She spends at minimum 30 minutes a day on each of her floors to listen to concerns from staff and patients, and then actually tries to provide for them when in need. She will answer call lights, bed alarms, help folks to the bathroom, she wipes butts and helps roll people. The best way to lead is alongside your team, be a part of the team. Don't hide in your office and only interact when staff requests you to or when you have fix an issue. She is the reason I got into nursing and is my role model.

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Jan 6, 2022

On 4/24/2021 at 5:00 PM, RapidRN said:

So I myself have never been a nurse manager. My older sister is a nurse manager at my hospital and has some of the best staff in the hospital and has a significantly lower turnover than most floors. Coming from an outside view looking in, she runs our cardiac "step-down" and oncology floors. She has become certified in both fields, so she can assist with education of her staff and is a resource for them to ask questions. She focuses on being there for her staff, she is professional in her relationships, but knows every employee on a personal level. She is an advocate for her staff in furthering their education and does everything in her power to build their knowledge base and to try to further their careers. She has built education into her budget for her experienced nurses to obtain their respective certifications even though our hospital does not currently specifically pay for certifications. She spends at minimum 30 minutes a day on each of her floors to listen to concerns from staff and patients, and then actually tries to provide for them when in need. She will answer call lights, bed alarms, help folks to the bathroom, she wipes butts and helps roll people. The best way to lead is alongside your team, be a part of the team. Don't hide in your office and only interact when staff requests you to or when you have fix an issue. She is the reason I got into nursing and is my role model.

She sounds amazing. ❤️

BirdieBird, BSN · Mar 27, 2022

I find that my staff appreciate the little things I do the most. For example, when a resident offers one of my staff a compliment, I hand write a thank you with details of why this staff member is so appreciated. I always make sure and personalize each card so that no one feels as though they "are just a care assistant". This approach literally brings tears to my staffs' on a regular basis. Never, would I ever, try and show my appreciation with something like pizza or subs. I feel that honest words of praise go a long way.