Questions from a staff nurse

[labordude, BSN, RN]

Hi to all managers and staff reading this,

As someone with experience in multiple facilities, I see situations come up that are handled in many different ways (or sometimes not at all), so I am looking to see what you do to ensure a unit that runs great. Beyond that, I am a Healthcare MBA candidate who wants to focus on organizational change, specifically the improvement of nursing within an organization. So while these questions are somewhat general, I am looking answers from a professional perspective and for my own personal career gain.

How do you ensure your employees feel respected and recognized? There is a ton of information out there including Hardwiring Excellent (Studer is excellent, if you haven't read him) and The New Leadership Challenge (Grossman & Valiga). Do you use thank you notes, instant recognition, public recognition? What would clue you in to your staff not feeling respected?

Do you have an open door policy? What does this actually mean? Do your employees actually feel comfortable coming into your office and being honest in a constructive way, without having a single iota of fear for their position?

How do you take the "pulse" of your unit to assess morale?

Do your yearly evaluations include goals for the employees? Are they position related, career related, or all-encompassing? What do you do to help your staff reach their goals? (Anyone read The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly, definitely a good quick read on the benefits of helping staff reach their goals)

How do you handle problem employees whose problems are only attitude related? Those "bullies" who are technically sound but bring down the morale of those around them. Nearly every organization has some of them but the best organizations seem to have built a culture where these employees weed themselves out because they learn their behavior won't be tolerated by their peers.

Thanks in advance,

nicuguy

[shull]

Hi NICUGUY, I am a nurse manager and have been for 14 years. It is a very tough job and you can't please everyone so you need to have a basic solid foundation for the unit to run effectively. Open door to me is that anyone can approach me at any time and I think that some people will never feel comfortable sitting with the BOSS! I also think that you get respect because you give respect. I have done just about everything there is to please the staff and there is always someone that will say the morale is low. I believe in myself and continue to be positive. I have been involved in restructuring units and getting the right staff for the right job is key. I hope this has helped.