Incentive for aides

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I am looking for ideas to help boost the moral of my aides other than the "Thank yous." I hear to often, as I am sure you have too, the complaints from my dedicated aides that they feel that they come to work everyday and put forth their best effort :bow:while others call in quite often and do just enough to get by. :( They don't get extra pay or any regonition other than "Thank you" I want to change this! A thank you is great but does anyone have some ideas that might be useful? We used to have "Employee of the Month" but that went to the wayside....don't really know why. I would like to see something like a "Positve Incident Report" where when you see an aide do something that goes above and beyond you fill out and Positive Incident Report and reward them in someway...just don't know how...Please let me know if you have something in place at your home that works!

Specializes in Staff nurse.

...I don't know, the idea of getting rewarded for doing what is responsible and expected (showing up when shceduled and esp. "on time")...

Not to be obnoxious, but will there be rewards for showing up in a clean uniform and properly groomed? Some things are just expected. The idea of a reward or award should be for above and beyond.

Rewarding those who care in the hopes that others will step up or get out? It may just cause more friction and complaints and backstabbing. Just a thought. Hope I'm wrong...

But the idea of rewards for those for all the other reasons cited are great.

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Specializes in 2 years as CNA.
I want to thank all of you for your input. You have given me alot to use. Love the thank you board, gift cards, etc... I am going to use quite a few of these ideas. I am going to also propose the offer to my Administrator that we start "STOP YOU'RE GETTING A TICKET" program that for every week they work as scheduled and are on time you get a ticket with your name into a drawing for $50 drawn in the beginning of the following month. Then your name continues on for $100 every 3 months and at the Christmas party we could draw from those name for $500. The total cost to the corporation would be $1500 a year...You get extra ticket for going above and beyond, working short, working extra when needed....I am hoping they see the $1500 as a very cheap way to show the aides how important they are! Since I took the position as DON I have tried hard to fight for my aides(I was an aide for many years). They deserve it!!:yeah: I am hoping by rewarding those who care, the ones who don't will either step up or get out!

Sounds like a great idea. Where I work they give us gift certificates on our b-day and at christmas. They also recoginize us when we go above and beyond and send us thank you notes at home. All of that goes a long way but a simple Thank you is nice too!

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We have started " Candy Grams" at our facility. These are simply candy canes with a tag attached. They are kept in the DON's office and the staff nurses can request to send one to a CNA in the building. The messages are written by the nurse, usually just little thank yous, and our DON delivers them before shift change. Also, on really bad days, the DON will jsu go out a buy 15 happy meals for floor staff. It usually gets some smiles!

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
my best aides have told me the exact same thing! to quote " i would rather work short with the ones of us who care then work full with the ones who don't"

that's not their decision. i am sure that most workers in any field feel that way-who wants dead weight?? unfortunately we have guidelines as to minimum staffing even if some of them are dead weight.

obviously the trick is to hire productive workers who are eager and able to do the work.

our job is to train them properly. like any gardener knows you have to weed and pluck the brown leaves if you want a successful garden .

i wish i could clone the ones who do. i am hoping by rewarding the ones who love their job the others will weed themselves out!

i try to use employee evaluations to correct the behaviors that are unproductive and motivate the outstanding employees into becoming teachers and role models for the others. i often tell my best cna how others should follow his lead in x , y, or z . i even say that he is worth more than just his salary. i wish cna's were reimbursed what they are worth- almost like a salesman on commission!! but the reality is....

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I have began to have the CNA's do the interviewing, I think this is empowering them. I have given them guidelines as to what they can ask and can't ask and they LOVE it! I have my best CNA's do the training now and they can tell me within a few days whether the new staff will work out or not. I am so proud of my CNA's that care! I just want to bring it to the corporate level because without our front line we have nothing!!

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Believe me I understand where you are coming from-certain things are expected and all the aides know what is, that doesn't mean that I don't have to follow corporate policies. If I could make a policy it would be No call, No show, NO JOB!! Yet corporate says 3 chances! I think it is insane what staff can get away with. I follow it to the letter so I don't get myself in a bind but they certainly know it will not be long and they will be in my office for a write up! After 3 you no longer have a job- at least not for me. This is one way I show the aides that care that I am on their side. (The last DON was so afraid of confrontation that almost everything was swept under the rug) I would like your opinion on how to get the newer, and I say that only because it seems like those are the ones I have the most trouble with, to understand the job they do can be so rewarding and that they make such a huge difference in the lives of those they care for.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Pictures paint a thousand words and keep their attention so I rent or buy professional videos on a variety of pertinent topics for the CNA:s and it does my job for me. We always have an interesting discussion afterward and my voice doesn't get hoorifice trying to convince them of something that they don't want to deal with.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

I try to use employee evaluations to correct the behaviors that are unproductive and motivate the outstanding employees into becoming teachers and role models for the others. I often tell my best CNA how others should follow his lead in x , y, or z . I even say that he is worth more than just his salary. I wish CNA's were reimbursed what they are worth- almost like a salesman on commission!! But the reality is....

I think that would be an excellant idea. However, some of the people would end up in the whole at the end of the week. I have one or two aids that will do what I ask them to do and then some. I wish that I could get the management to pay them what they are worth. That is not going to happen. I wish the other aids would see the good work that their co-worker is doing and step up to do their job correctly. It does not happen, so I continue to tell my good aids what a valueable assest they are to the team.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Someone should approach a magazine like Readers Digest to hold a caregiver or CNA of the year recognition certificate like they do for teachers

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Specializes in Staff nurse.
Someone should approach a magazine like Readers Digest to hold a caregiver or CNA of the year recognition certificate like they do for teachers

Good idea, when you gonna write to RD? Hugs! Actually, a suggestion from a DON who employs CNAs would probably carry more weight...but try it and see what happens. Maybe start at your local newspaper level...

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Specializes in AC, ER, Corrections, LTC.

Recognition programs are a good idea...a suggestion is to start with a more local view as many may be in place already.

In Maine the Long Term Care Ombudsman offer an annual recognition for "Outstanding Caregivers" from around the state. Facilities are encouraged to nominate an outstanding care giver in their orgainization. Submitting with the nomination an essay to outline the reasons the individual deserves the award. The Ombudsman have a panel of judges who meet and select winners from around the state. The winners, a guest and the nominating organization's representative attend a ceremony at the State Capital attended by the governor and key legislators/senators involved with healthcare.

The Maine Health Care Association offers a similar reward program with similiar criteria. The winners and a guest are given the opportunity to attend the annual MHCA conference and are part of a recognition progra there.

These recognition programs of course are beyond those specific to the organization they are employed by.

Since their implementation and as a part of C.N.A. education there has been great emphasis placed on recognizing and rewarding the exceptional and to increase self esteem and self respect among these important member of the health care team.

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I know this is an older post but as a cna myself I can tell you that nurse such as yourself are one in a million:yeah:

God Bless You!

Stephanie CNA Asheville,NC

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