What's working for you?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Every month or so my managers come around and ask all the staff on the floor a few questions regarding the floor, safety factors and hospital policy type things we should know. Every time they start with the question "so what's working for you?" I never know how to answer that question. I always end up staring at them "uhhhhh...I don't know? I like who I work with." Not exactly that but essentially that type of answer. I know they're asking the questions for feedback on what we can do to better the floor and I can give them a million answers about what I don't like but never what I do. I love the patient population, the rest of the staff, but I don't know how to answer that question in the way I feel they're looking for me to. How would you answer that question?

"I like that you are asking, and that you are committed to a safe unit. I would like to ask what you do with the information obtained by the answers, and if you use it to expand existing culture improvements, like ______________" (recruitment and retention, ratios, per diem staff, etc)

Know that usually a manager takes people 1:1 on for a few months and asks them these questions and charts them into a "traffic light" sequence things that can't be done and why, things that could be in the future and wonderful things that happen--red, yellow, green. It is usually some journey to magnetism or some other journey.....Sigh.

I may be old and jaded, but I do think that if there was real concern with the answers, it would be a "what is working and what is not" scenario.

Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

I usually say my coworkers and manager, what's not working for me is _________. Usually I say my charge having patients.

One time I was having a really bad day and when they asked me I said I can't tell you because it's 4pm and I haven't had lunch yet.

Within ten minutes someone came and relieved me for lunch. :roflmao:

I've never been asked "What's working for you?"

I honestly don't know how I would respond to that. I am not in HR/Procurement/Budget.

I'd probably look confused and say "Fine. Very well. How's your night?"

+ Add a Comment