5 Ways Managers Can Make Nurses Feel Valued

J.Adderton, BSN, MSN

Health systems have to be forward thinking and use creative strategies to recruit good nurses. According to an NSI Nursing Solutions’ 2016 National Healthcare and Retention RN Staffing Report, it costs a conservative estimate of $54,400 to replace each nurse or $373,200 for every percentage point change to the turnover rate. About 81.8% of organizations say retention is a top priority, yet only 51.5% have a formal retention plan in place. Health systems often focus on recruitment efforts and fail to look at internal factors contributing to the high rate of nurse turnover. The reality of the healthcare environment results in nursing caring for sicker patients with more to do and less time. The benefit of nurse satisfaction is improved nurse productivity and patient care. Nurses need to be recognized and valued to remain once they have been hired.

Nurses leave a job for a variety of reasons such as lack of professional development opportunities, lack of recognition, not enough staff, too many responsibilities, and better pay. Research shows nurses stay in jobs when the nurses feel valued, respected and appreciated. Managers play an important role in creating a culture that promotes building relationships with nurses and makes them feel important and valued. A study conducted by the Annals of Behavioral Medicine measured the heart rate of 100 nurses at Scottish teaching hospital while they were doing nursing tasks in real-time. They found nurses felt less stress if they felt like they were in control of their activities, valued and appreciated. Recognizing the important contribution of nurses does not have to be complex or time-consuming. Consider these easy ways to improve nurse and leadership relationships.

Set a tone of cooperation and teamwork.

Management sets the tone for employees and the work environment. Nurse managers must make a conscious effort to create a culture of cooperation and teamwork. Nothing brings down the mood of employees like a nurse manager who goes straight to their desk with an attitude of disengagement.

Make communication a priority.

Good communication and clear expectations are good for nurse morale. Nurses are more confident when they know what is expected of them. Staff wants to be kept “in the loop” on what is happening in the organization. Transparency makes nurses feel like they are trusted and an important part of the team. Meet with staff regularly to share information, provide praise and recognition and to encourage feedback.

Praise more than you criticize.

Just think about all the information flowing to nurses from their managers. A nurse frequently is informed of chart audits, holes in staffing, documentation issues and much more. There seems to be no shortage of feedback on working harder and areas identified for improvement. Nurse managers should praise more than they criticize. Share with staff when audit findings improve and benchmarks are met. Giving a sincere “thank-you” or “good job” in real time makes a big difference.

Solicit their ideas and opinions.

Nurse managers are often perceived as being too removed from bedside nursing and not in touch with the day to day challenges nurses face. Unfortunately, the perception of management disengagement is often an accurate read. Ask what about their jobs is working and what areas need to be addressed. Encourage staff to be part of the solutions for daily challenges. Also, follow up and communicate what is being done to address the issues they identify as a source of job dissatisfaction.

Recognize the warning signs of low morale.

Nurse managers need to be alert for signs of low morale in staff and themselves. Morale can change quickly and it is important to be in touch with day-to-day events. Remember, morale comes from the top down and staff can recognize when a manager’s attitude shifts.

Here are a few warning signs:

Negative attitude that lowers patients’ quality of care
Low productive
Resentment towards coworkers
Talking about others negatively
Lack of attention to details
Increased absenteeism or tardiness
Withholding important information

When employees feel valued, they are more likely to stay with an organization despite challenges and bumps in the road. Nurse managers have an incentive to retain good nurses- improved performance and patients outcomes. Nursing by nature a stressful job, but perhaps with a sincere effort to make staff feel valued nurse managers can significantly improve the work environment.

Resources

Article- How to Make Employees Feel Valued

Article- Stress Levels Higher for Nurses Who Feel Undervalued

5 Ways Managers Can Make Nurses Feel Valued

Set a tone of cooperation and teamwork.

Make communication a priority.

Praise more than you criticize.

Solicit their ideas and opinions.

Recognize the warning signs of low morale.

About J.Adderton, BSN, MSN

Share on other sites

More Like This