New manager needs help

[NurseyPoo7]

I recently took on a nurse manager position. I've never really worked in leadership before other than being a charge nurse. I really want to focus on building the employees up. I am not the type that wants to discipline or write them up all the time. I try to compliment the nurses and CNAs on a regular basis, but I always feel like I am saying the same thing (you're doing a really great job, you're a very compassionate nurse, etc) . I am not very eloquent with my vocabulary and am looking to you all for help.

What is the best compliment you've received from your boss? What are some things or phrases I can use?

[vivienmudgett]

First of all, congratulations on your new position. Know that you are not alone in how you feel. I have traveled across the country giving seminars to new nursing managers and find that they consistently tell me one thing: they were promoted because they were good clinically, but very few were given any training or help on how to do some of the things that they need to do as a charge nurse or supervisor.

As to your question.... Reading the answers you can see that there are many different ways people like to be recognized. So one of the first things you might want to consider as you get to know your staff is to ask them HOW they like to be recognized. Some staff love to be recognized in public and relish every minute of it, while others want to run away and hide if you recognize them in public.

I have found that the best recognition comes very close to the incident. So if an RN on your staff does something exceptionally well, then the compliment means the most if it is given close to the action. Yes, handwritten notes are very meaningful, but they mean even more coupled with a personal compliment. There are a lot of good examples here on this string of answers, so I won't bother to repeat them, but being specific about what the person has done is also very important. If you are coaching/mentoring someone you can recognize what they have done or said well and then say something like "... and if next time you added ........ that would be perfect...."

The most important thing is that it has to be always be sincere and always come from the heart. Your staff will know that you are trying and that you have faith in them and believe in them.

One more thing you can do is share any positive patient comments that might come in the mail or in a survey with a staff member.

I know that you will do well because you are already proving that you are hungry for knowledge and you are looking to become the best that you can be. Just remember that every day will not be your best, but if you are caring and your staff sees that and knows that, they will forgive the not so good days and will allow you to shine on your good days.

Best of luck!

[theRPN2b]

It's nice to see a manager like you who tries to get involved with their staff and create a positive work environment :)

Some suggestions:

Staff may like to see recognition for certain situations they were involved in. Such as if they handled a violent patient or family situation, or if they really took charge in a code or pre-code situation.

You could compliment them on certain skills or things they do that make the floor a better place to work. Everyone is good at something (starting IV's,wound care,time management skills,assessments,communication with the interdisciplinary team,precepting students/new hires,etc.). Get to know each and every one of your staff members and find out what they're good at,and let them know that you appreciate that!

[Steffy44]

Just be honest and speak from the heart. I know when my manager is blowing smoke up my butt with compliment City. It's usually when I'm on the verge of quitting. Fix the problems. Save the smoke blowing for someone else. I did the Air Force for 25 years...I'm well acquainted with BS.

[FutureNurseInfo]

Well, I am only a pre-nursing student, but I have been a teacher for 7 years now. I have learned to deal with praise all the time. What you should do is rather than label a nurse with a trait, briefly describe the job he/she did well. This will reinforce the "behavior" and allows you to be very specific as to why you give a praise. For example, if the nurse was very efficient in IV setup and administration, tell him/her that: "You managed to set up and administer the IV in such an efficient and composed manner that no other nurse I have seen ever do! Keep up the great work!" A response like this is very specific and targets the behavior you want to reinforce in a worker. It is much better than just saying "What a wonderful job you did! Thank you!" I hope I was able to give you a general idea. I do apologize if my wording was random or incoherent for I am experiencing some mild headache.