OR Manager - November 2019 - 13

Human resources
eral violence, but from assaults by patients
and families, " says Kathy Casey,
RN-BC, professional development specialist
and nurse residency program coordinator
at Denver Health.
McLeod says leaders should note
any generational patterns. " We are seeing
a definite issue with silos among
the generations, especially in the operating
room setting, " she notes. For
example, a long-term Baby Boomer employee
may say to a Millennial with less
experience: " As soon as you've been
through what I've been through, you can
talk to me about your new ideas. "
It's best to take a comprehensive
approach to address civility. Indiana
University Health (IU Health) is rolling
out a program that has leaders and
employees working together to be sure
employees understand behavioral expectations
and the importance of accountability.
Change is already occurring.
" Holding people accountable when
behaviors aren't appropriate has been
very impactful
in improving the work
environment, " says Nikki Walke, MBA,
BSN, administrative director for perioperative
services and sterile processing.
Communication
Talk to employees on a regular basis.
" Understanding an individual employee's
unique needs or wants is the key
to being able to reward that person in
a meaningful way, " says Tulgan, who
adds that providing more generous rewards
and work conditions to retain
high performers is a good idea. He says
that high performers want more attention.
" The
superstars want managers who
know exactly who they are, help them
succeed, and keep close track of their
success. " It's still important, however,
to focus on every employee.
Tulgan says employees want to know:
* What do you want from me today,
tomorrow, this week, this month,
this year?
* What do you have to offer me in
www.ormanager.com
return today, tomorrow, this week,
this month, this year?
Natasha
Luster,
MSN, RN,
CNOR
Luster and her director
hold open forums with
each specialty team
every other month. " I let
staff know that this is
their time, " Luster says.
" I'm here to talk about
what they want to talk
about. " The agenda is
short because general
information is delivered
via monthly staff meetings. She invites
staff to submit questions ahead of time
so she can be better prepared for the
meeting. Luster cautions that it can
take as long as a year to develop an effective
forum. " At first it was very quiet,
and then we went through a phase
where complaints were the focus, but
now we're at the collaboration phase, "
she says.
Rounds are most often associated
with patients, but staff rounding is an
effective communication tool. Luster
and her associate managers meet with
every staff member at least once per
quarter. Sample questions include:
* What's going well?
* Do you have the supplies you need
to do your job?
* Is there anything different you need
from the leadership team?
* Do you have any outstanding concerns?
Responses
are recorded in the computer
to detect trends and to facilitate
follow-up. That follow-up may occur as
part of a monthly " stoplight report " that
lets staff know the progress of projects.
Red indicates that something can't be
completed and cites a reason; yellow
signifies the project is in process; and
green means the project has been completed.
Communication
also can help managers
and staff understand one another's
role. " Frontline staff don't always understand
the manager's job, and managers
forget what frontline staff members
are dealing with, " Ulrich says, adding,
" Don't assume what staff know, and let
them hear what you think and know. "
For example, staff might not understand
how staffing decisions are made. The
AACN survey found that managers reported
having appropriate staffing 54%
of the time, compared to just 36% of
staff nurses. Managers need to talk to
staff about these different perceptions
and be open to feedback.
What staff want
Leaders need to understand that staff
are looking for recognition and the ability
to grow and contribute. " They want
to be able to say, 'I have the opportunity
to grow myself professionally so I
can better take care of my patients,' "
Bosserman says. " We owe them [staff]
for all the hard work they provide. "
Leaders can meet these needs through
a supportive culture and through career
development, which is discussed in Part
2 of this series. ✥
Cynthia Saver, MS, RN, is president of
CLS Development, Inc, Columbia, Maryland,
which provides editorial services to
healthcare publications.
References
Buffington A, Zwink J, Fink R. Factors
affecting nurse retention at an academic
Magnet® hospital. J Nurs
Adm. 2012;42(5):273-281.
Clifton J, Harter J. It's the Manager:
Gallup Finds That the Quality of
Managers and Team Leaders is the
Single Biggest Factor in Your Organization's
Long-term Success. New
York: Gallup Press. 2019.
Dowling Dols J, Chargualaf K A, Martinez
K S. Cultural and generational
considerations in RN retention. J
Nurs Adm. 2019;49(4):201-207.
Laboon P. Gallup Chairman and CEO
Jim Clifton: " Great leaders have a
higher purpose than just profit. "
Thrive Global. 2019.
Continued on page 17
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