What would make you happy?...employee satisfaction

firstaiddave907 · Aug 28, 2006

:yeahthat:

:yeahthat:
For management to actually LISTEN if they want to know how things can be improved.

barbyann · Aug 28, 2006

I would like to see more of an effort made to support night shift workers. It is my experience that we are invisible in all aspects of administration decisions. How come a high ranking administrator never comes by for a visit on the overnight? How come no meetings take place at night, no inservices? Why can't my evaluation be done at night? Why do I have to come in on days to get my evaluation? These managers manage a 24 hour business, not a 9-5 offfice building. A hospital operates 24hrs a day, the patients are still sick at midnight, trust me.

And also more money!

nickola · Aug 28, 2006

the bottom line: a higher hourly wage. Next would be fair nurse to patient ratios, and good benefits. I know you wanted something else, but these are the REAL issues. There would be no nursing shortage if these 3 simple things were as important to admin. as they are to nurses. This is the secret that isn't so secret. It's how to attract AND retain nurses. (apparently an unobtainable goal for most hospitals who think an ice cream feed here or a pizza there 'fixes' anything!!!)

Indy, LPN, LVN · Aug 28, 2006

Anytime management wants to assign extra paper work to nightshift, they need to put an extra nurse out there to do it.

With the threat of JCAHO coming soon, we're up to our ears in crap that we don't have time to do. On top of this, we hear the following: "we'll fail our survey if you go in a room without a MAR and hand someone a pill without asking him/her his name and birthdate. So start doing all that now."

Okay, genius. I'm going to bounce between a new admit, a post plasty sheath pull with groin checks every 15 minutes, a person or two to get ready for a procedure tomorrow and you want me to completely change my routine weeks before the blasted surveyors get here, without giving me any extra help?

Management needs to recognize that they run a tight ship already and extra work should not be assigned if they are not going to provide extra help. We might even be willing to think about doing extra work if the people assigning it don't talk down to us when giving it.

Management needs to understand that JCAHO rates the HOSPITAL. NOT THE NURSE. If a nurse is doing, or all nurses in the facility are doing, "unsafe" things then it is because you didn't staff it well enough, dipsh*ts! The surveyors don't report to the BON. Our license isn't on the line, but the CEO's bonus sure as heck is! So if you want to keep your new car, bonus, and salary that I sure as heck won't ever see, try not talking to me like I'm three flipping years old, and give me some extra help. Mmmkay!

Otherwise, don't ask me what would make me happy, especially not during survey time. You might get a bundle more than you wanted to hear.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Aug 28, 2006

.

Oh I love your Isaiah Quote.

Isaiah 54:16-17 NIV: "See, it is I who created the blacksmith

who fans the coals into flame

and forges a weapon fit for its work.

And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,

and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.

This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,

and this is their vindication from me,"

declares the LORD.

Simply powerful.

~faith,

Timothy.

whiskeygirl, LPN · Aug 28, 2006

How about a better charting/medical records system? 90% of hospitals are utilizing a program that doesn't work well for us and that takes us away from our patient time.

vamedic4, EMT-P · Aug 28, 2006

A real place at the table where decisions are made. Not just by managers, but by the rank and file.
Actually, both the ANA and the Amer Assoc of C-C nurses demand that this is a basic need: for 'end users' to have a say in planning the changes that affect them. And not just a say AFTER decisions are made, but a real say in MAKING them.
A typical management complaint: how to get the rank and file to 'buy-in' to changes. How about a role in making them! If I'm not anywhere invested in your changes, why should I be invested in 'buying in' to them?
How about a bedside nurse's voice in budget committees, staffing/fte committees, acquisition committees, overall P&P committees, etc.? You ask for volunteers for THOSE types of committees, and you wouldn't find nurses avoiding committees like the plague, or like they do for useless retention committees that don't have the power to adopt the measures that would actually LEAD to retention.
But, I'm not jaded or anything.
~faith,
Timothy.

:yeahthat:

HeatherLPN · Aug 28, 2006

Evening meetings for night shift nurses. Working a 12 hour shift, not getting out of there on time, then being back at 1p when you have to come back for another 12 at 6 or 7 is REALLY tough.

Also, not being afraid to get rid of aides that are consistently late, have bad attitudes, are rude to other staff, or are just plain lazy. I have some wonderful aides, but when they have to work with certain ones, morale is low, there's bickering, they don't work as a team, and things aren't done for the next shift coming on, which gets them upset. I'm not a babysitter--they know their jobs, and I don't have time to constantly prod certain ones to get off their butt and do their job. They need to just be let go. Being an aide is hard work, I personally know that, but if you're not up to it, maybe you should find another profession. We're all in it together for the RESIDENTS, not just a paycheck.

hellonurse36 · Aug 28, 2006

I would LOVE a shower and locker room so I could ride my bike to work. It is so hard to make time for working out with 12 hr shifts, but if I could commute I would kill two birds with one stone!!

Terri in Greenville, NC

MQ Edna · Aug 28, 2006

Not that my hospital does this, but it would be awesome if there was a directory of high quality childcare or a childcare coordinator. And they could keep a list of reviews or something like that. That is definitely one of my biggest worries and if I know my kids are safe and happy, I am a much happier nurse. Also, warmed pericare wipes on the units are so great. I don't know why everyone doesn't have them because it makes cleaning up easier for nurses and nicer for patients. :)

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Aug 28, 2006

Oh I love your Isaiah Quote.
Isaiah 54:16-17 NIV: "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.
Simply powerful.
~faith,
Timothy.

Thanks, Timothy. Every time I hit a rough spot, I remember this promise and I tell myself, "He did not bring me this far to see me fail. And that is my proof."

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 28, 2006

How about a bedside nurse's voice in budget committees, staffing/fte committees, acquisition committees, overall P&P committees, etc.? You ask for volunteers for THOSE types of committees, and you wouldn't find nurses avoiding committees like the plague, or like they do for useless retention committees that don't have the power to adopt the measures that would actually LEAD to retention.

:yeahthat:

A hospital I worked for a few years ago was trying to cut costs. One of the things they did that really worked and that staff (all staff, not just nursing) particpated in was to put out suggestion boxes. The question was, what do you see in your job that you think wastes money? They got tons of those, and then they addressed those in newsletters. They found things like: the ICU nurses complained because a patient might go down with one type of IV tubing, the OR changed over to a different type, and then when the patient got to ICU they got yet another set of tubing. It turned out that no one realized that the OR and the ICU and floors were using totally different IV pumps and had to use different tubing. The problem was corrected and administration let employees know exactly who the nurses were who brought the problem up and how much $$ the hospital would save by making the change. When things were brought up that actually would not be improvements or save money, that was also explained.

Employees weren't just given lip service, they were actually listened to and their ideas were looked at and utilized if possible.

As others have said, ask your nurses what changes they want.

Also, try asking them what are the things about their jobs that absolutely drive them nuts. What are their biggest time-wasters? How would they fix those problems? Sometimes it's some of the little things that make life miserable. If some of the problems aren't "fixable" for whatever reason, then at least explaining those reasons might help how people feel about them.

Look at unit turnover and management. Which areas have fairly stable staffs and which ones have revolving doors? Then someone needs to look at the managment of those units. I've never understood why upper management has never looked at that. It always seemed obvious to me. While no manager is going to get along perfectly with 100% of the staff, there should be patterns visible after awhile. It's one thing to have a staff member leave to move with a transferring spouse or to take care of an ill family member, but if lots of staff are going to the hospital down the road, someone should make an effort to find out why the grass looks greener over there. Sometimes it's having a manager who makes life difficult.

There have been lots of great suggestions on this thread. A lot of them will work, if management is willing to actually make changes themselves.