It’s all about the Workplace

While I do believe that the problems and solutions are multiple, in my recent work on the Governor-appointed Health Care Workforce Policy Advisory Committee, I’ve begun to see that workplace issues are at the top of the list.  In fact, I’ve developed a mantra: “It’s all about the Workplace.”  That’s not to say that the issues of recruitment into the profession, nursing image, and nursing education are not important—they are!  It will take a multi-dimensional effort to address the shortage issue long-term.

I’ve had several opportunities recently to focus on the workplace issue.  At a presentation on shared governance and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Award Program (http:// www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet.htm), I heard Vickie Mullins Moore, St. Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta, talk about the recognition of quality that the Magnet Award reflects.  Called "nursing's best kept secret," the Magnet designation is the single most effective mechanism for noting a seal of approval for quality nursing care.  Dr. Tim Porter O’Grady talked about the influence of shared governance in the workplace.  In a hospital that implements shared governance, nurses are able to share information and opinions, increase responsibilities and improve their education, thereby increasing the opportunity to provide better patient care. 

“It’s all about the workplace” was demonstrated clearly on a visit to East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), named in Fortune’s Top 100 Best Places to Work—the first and only public sector company to make Fortune’s list.  So what makes EAMC so good?  Benefits include a gainsharing program that affords staff the opportunity to earn bonuses of up to 5 percent of their salary.  Last year over 1500 employees at the hospital received more than $3 million in bonus checks as part of the unique profit-sharing plan.  An employee assistance fund, Cornerstone, is a 10-year-old fund paid for through voluntary payroll deductions that have helped staff cope with fires and car accidents. Employees donate funds or their time to help colleagues in need.  The fund extends aid to medical care that can include anything from the purchase of a prosthetic hand to treatment of a nurse’s child born with a brain tumor. The hospital has a day care center providing extended hours that are necessary for those who work 12 hour shifts.  (http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/01-04/topnotch.asp).  The hospital’s president, Terry Andrus, firmly believes that in order for patient satisfaction to be high, employee satisfaction must be high as well.  Recognition and rewards are a big part of honoring employees’ successes.    Hospital employees talk about the feeling of “family” in their workplace.  In fact, the staff is on a first name basis with top administrators, including the president.

Sociologists tell us that our younger generation is focused more on life satisfaction as compared to their parents and grandparents.  In this day of declining interest in the profession of nursing, employers must examine the workplace and strive to focus on employee satisfaction if they are to recruit and retain the caregivers they need to care for patients.  It is equally important for registered nurses to be accountable for their practice, willing to take on the responsibility of shared decision-making.  Perhaps we all need to examine our workplaces and determine what we can do to effect positive change.  After all, “it’s all about the workplace.”

ANCC’s Magnet Award Program, shared governance, profit sharing, recognition, rewards, and family-focused benefits—we do have the tools to improve the workplace.  Now we must make the effort to do so.

I realize that in naming two hospitals in our region, I am overlooking other Georgia hospitals, clinics, health care agencies, and schools of nursing that are also investing in a positive work environment.  If you have positive work experiences, please email me and relate your story.  In the subject line type: It’s All About the Workplace.  dhatmaker@georgianurses.org