Recognizing Your Nurses

Ways to show your staff, peers and coworkers you care. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

"To fully engage employees and make them feel like they want to push the company forward just like the CEO, they need to be recognized. Humans have this need to be recognized and when they are, they perform better." (Apfelbaum, 2015)

Recognizing Staff

I've never been in a management position, but I have had some great (and admittedly not so great) nurse leaders and managers over the years. While many management styles exist and several factors weigh in on what makes a great manager, staff acknowledgement is one major piece of the puzzle. It feels good to be recognized, to know your efforts are not going unnoticed - especially in a field like ours. We are always trying our best. And who doesn't like giving or getting a little gratitude?

My current hospital and nurse leader are both exceptional in staff recognition. During my first few weeks on the job I was shocked to see all the activities and small gifts they had planned for nurses week. A luncheon, fun photo booths, gifts of pins, hospital logo bags, phone chargers, and a daily coffee/tea cart with snacks. I had to keep my jaw from touching the floor below me when the man pushing the coffee cart introduced himself to me as the CEO of our hospital. Impressive. And he didn't seem to mind the least bit when we asked for extra creamer.

My nurse leader has far too many people to keep track of, but somehow she does it. She knows all of our names, our stories, our struggles and keeps it all straight. She and the nurse educator on the unit frequently team up to organize potlucks for various occasions and cancel staff meetings to allow for more time with family during the holidays. They have even dragged in a cooler full of gourmet ice pops to boost unit morale (a crowd favorite). Yes, there is such a thing a gourmet ice pops...who knew? They come around our unit and personally deliver handwritten cards for the winter holidays and also for nurses week. It may not seem like much to some but I was extremely grateful to be appreciated, especially after my last job where the phrase "thank you" was few and far between.

Anticipating Unit Needs

My nurse leader and nurse educator have a great open door policy. You can stop into their office anytime. They always seem to greet you warmly and make time for any issues that come up, despite how jam packed their day might be. They are frequently seen around the unit, but never in a micromanaging, hovering sense. No one cowers or hides (as I've seen on other units) upon their arrival. They are simply around for whatever you may need.

Our manager and educator never hesitate to help on the floor when asked. They are quick to help cover lunches, hang chemo or grab a blanket for a patient. While our staffing has greatly improved over the last six months it was bad for a while. However, it would have been far worse if they were not willing to roll up their sleeves and help. Full disclosure, they were both floor nurses on this unit years ago, working their way up. So they know the demands of our busy outpatient unit well.

Policies and procedures frequently change, but the ability to help your fellow nurse and grant a few patient requests should always be in well within your scope of practice. Being able to sense the needs of a poorly staffed unit and coming to assist is one of the biggest acknowledgements you can provide your nurses. It shows staff you are attune to their efforts and that you are not above helping to ease the overall flow and reduce stress levels. While this assistance can be difficult to provide in between your already busy work day, it certainly does not have to be a frequent occurrence. A little goes a long way. A lot of small tasks can be done with only five minutes to spare. This kind of availability can increase the trust between management and staff and can only help retain those who appreciate the extra effort.

Recognizing Peers & Coworkers

It sounds simple, but a quick affirmation to anyone you work with can make a huge impact and change their day. Taking a brief moment to thank someone for going the extra mile or showing support for a job well done can make those you work with feel incredibly appreciated.

At my current position we can write each other 'kudos' cards. A stack of blank brightly colored index cards and a submission envelope are always available in the nursing lounge. Anyone from any area of the department can write or receive a 'kudos' card. At each monthly staff meeting the cards are read and each recipient is then able to pick a prize out of a basket put together by our nurse leader and educator. The best part is the prizes are actually something you might want: full size chocolate bars, lunch bags, fun post-it notes, bookmarks, etc. A small yet very meaningful ritual where gratitude is the main theme. I find the kudos cards especially helpful for those times where it's so busy that you may not have time to acknowledge someone in the moment but do not want their actions to go unnoticed.

Sharing Ideas of Recognition

There are so many creative ways to show your staff, peers and coworkers you care. Taking this time can change a coworkers outlook on a previously overwhelming day, change their mood, brighten their day and can also improve their future performance. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool.

What are the ways your units express gratitude and acknowledge staff? What are your ideas for new ways to maintain this culture of recognition?

References:

Apfelbaum, J. (2015, December 15). 10 Creative Ways To Recognize Your Employees. Retrieved from Forbes Welcome

As a manager, I was hoping to get more ideas from the comments for staff recognition. Instead it seems like mostly complaints about short staffing. And rather than start a war about that, here are the things I do for recognition, in case other managers are looking for ideas:

1. We put names of those who have done extra (pick up a shift, drive a coworker who's car is broken, comes up with a great idea) into a "hat" - yes THAT hat - and pick a winner at each staff meeting. I supply the prize out of my own pocket, which right now are a few tea light candles because I have plenty of them at home.

2. Send emails after rough days not only thanking the staff, but highlighting their great attitude. And my manager gets a copy.

3. Tell anyone who will listen to me that while the providers are the backbone, my staff is the lifeblood of the company.

4. Stop in at each clinic almost every day, just to say hi and make sure they are doing okay.

5. Sometimes I bake treats for staff meeting, which saves me money because I pay for them either way. My department doesn't have a budget for that.

6. Name specific staff who have a good idea in emails and meetings.

I can't make more people apply for the open positions or get HR to process them any faster. But I do try to make my staff feel appreciated. And I'd love to hear other's ideas about this.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Your methods sound quite reasonable. But in my world they're not only impractical, but unlikely.

1. We put names of those who have done extra (pick up a shift, drive a coworker who's car is broken, comes up with a great idea) into a "hat" - yes THAT hat - and pick a winner at each staff meeting. I supply the prize out of my own pocket, which right now are a few tea light candles because I have plenty of them at home.

There are a handful of people (mostly men and single women) on our unit who pick up the lion's share of the overtime - and there's LOTS of it. The rest of us do nice things for others, and don't even talk about what we're doing because we're nice people, not because we're seeking some reward. As for staff meetings, nobody goes to them because we're not paid for the time and those already at work can't get away.

2. Send emails after rough days not only thanking the staff, but highlighting their great attitude. And my manager gets a copy.

This can be a good thing, or it can be viewed as a pat on the head for once again pulling together to get the job done. When EVERY shift is rough and we're skating on the edge of disaster for days on end, a mass email is not really that much of an acknowledgement of how hard we work, it's more of a way for our management to feel good about themselves... and get an atta-girl/guy from their own manager for it.

5. Sometimes I bake treats for staff meeting, which saves me money because I pay for them either way. My department doesn't have a budget for that.

Staff meetings. Not a thing. And if it were, it would be the same people every time eating the treats. It's a nice idea, but not really inclusive. In the past (they're not happening these days) when we've had pancake breakfasts or ice cream sundaes provided by our managers (which happened 3 or 4 times a year), there would be at least 50% of our staff who weren't included. Given that these events had to fall within our managers' working hours (M-F, 07-15) I have been present for exactly ONE of these. Others were there for them all. So who feels appreciated then?

6. Name specific staff who have a good idea in emails and meetings.

Where I work, we're not encouraged to have ideas. Our patient care manager couldn't put a name to a face for about 80% of the people who work for her, never mind knowing whose ideas she's implementing. Our organization is highly top-down, with recognition for only those near the top. But our organization lobbied for, and received, a top-100-best-employers award last year. The awarding agency never spoke to the people working within the organization other than those at the top.

For me, the most meaningful recognition comes from families, our social worker and my coworkers - and it's usually done in private. I don't need to be singled out in public for going the extra mile, but it would be nice once in awhile to have a manager come to me and express appreciation for something I've done. But I'd be very suspicious of any sudden praise from our management, especially considering I haven't had a performance review in more than 5 years. I know this doesn't tell you how to show appreciation for your staff, but I think it might show you how NOT to do it.

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It's sad, NotReadyForPrimeTime, that your workplace is like that. And many are - I've worked in plenty myself.

Not all nurses make good managers and not all managers make good nurses. Unlike the training a nurse goes through in school, too many managers are promoted without the training to actually be good managers.

When someone does have a manager who is at least trying to recognize the staff, even in small ways, I hope they give that person a chance. Many managers are still trying to help people, only it's the staff they're trying to help, not directly the patients.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Many managers are still trying to help people, only it's the staff they're trying to help, not directly the patients.[/Quote]

Valid points from both previous posters. As for the above quoted, my unit's asst manager has told us to think of them (he and "Ernestine) as OUR nurses. We are there for the pts, and they are here for us.

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