Employees Matter: Surveys that help retain employees

News You Can Use: The AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care

Communication Corner: How healthcare professionals can be assertive

Just For Fun: Then and now: signs we’re getting old

Employee Attitude Surveys Retain Employees

Numerous research studies have shown that satisfied employees are more productive and usually stay at their jobs longer. Healthcare organizations obviously strive to make their employees happy—however, figuring out what makes an employee satisfied is no easy task.

Tools that Can Help
Employee attitude surveys are inexpensive tools that can give you superb insight into employee motivation, performance, and overall satisfaction. Moreover, such surveys show your employees that you value their opinions.

While there are many factors that can affect employee satisfaction, an attitude survey can pinpoint the main concerns of your employees. An employee satisfaction survey should focus on the following main factors:

• Job security
• Communication between employees and management
• Lack of training
• Compensation
• Job burnout
• Ill-defined tasks
• Poor working conditions
• Lack of support
• Lack of advancement opportunities
• Feeling unappreciated

A good employee attitude survey should also measure your employee's opinions on all aspects of the workplace environment including:

• Overall satisfaction
• Management/employee relations
• Corporate culture
• Career development
• Benefits
• Recognition and rewards
• Working conditions
• Training
• Safety concerns
• Policies and procedures

Simply put, a survey that encompasses the factors mentioned above will yield sound and valid conclusions. Once you understand how your employees think and feel you can begin to revise policies and procedures to better meet their needs.

“After all is said and done, a lot more will have been said than done.”

—Author Unknown

The AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) developed the Synergy Model for Patient Care to link clinical practice with patient outcomes. The Synergy Model states that the needs or characteristics of patients and families influence and drive the characteristics or competencies of nurses. Furthermore, the AACN states that synergy results when the needs and characteristics of a patient, clinical unit, or system are matched with a nurse’s competencies.

Nurse Competencies

Nursing care reflects an integration of knowledge, skills, experience, and attitudes needed to meet the needs of patients and families. The items below comprise the skills, experience, and attitude (or competencies) required to achieve the Synergy Model for Patient Care.

Clinical Judgment: clinical reasoning, which includes clinical decision-making, critical thinking, and a global grasp of the situation, coupled with nursing skills acquired through a process of integrating formal and informal knowledge and evidence-based guidelines.

Advocacy and Moral Agency: working on another's behalf and representing the concerns of the patient/family and nursing staff; serving as a moral agent in identifying and helping to resolve ethical and clinical concerns within and outside the clinical setting.

Caring Practices: nursing activities that create a compassionate, supportive, and therapeutic environment for patients and staff, with the aim of promoting comfort and healing and preventing unnecessary suffering. Includes, but is not limited to, vigilance, engagement, and responsiveness of caregivers, including family and healthcare personnel.

Collaboration: working with others (e.g., patients, families, healthcare providers) in a way that promotes/encourages each person's contributions toward achieving optimal/realistic patient/family goals.

Systems Thinking: the body of knowledge and tools that allow the nurse to manage whatever environmental and system resources exist for the patient/family and staff, within or across healthcare and non-healthcare systems.

Response to Diversity: the sensitivity to recognize, appreciate, and incorporate differences into the provision of care. Differences may include, but are not limited to, cultural differences, spiritual beliefs, gender, race, ethnicity, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, age, and values.

Facilitation of Learning: the ability to facilitate learning for patients/families, nursing staff, other members of the healthcare team, and community. This includes both formal and informal facilitation of learning.

Clinical Inquiry (Innovator/Evaluator): the ongoing process of questioning and evaluating practice and providing informed practice. Creating practice changes through research utilization and experiential learning.

According to the AACN, the above eight competencies are essential for contemporary nursing practice. The AACN firmly believes that when nurse competencies stem from patient needs and the characteristics of the nurse and patient synergize, optimal patient outcomes can result.

Nurses can become accredited in the Synergy Model for Patient Care by taking AACN-administered exams. Learn more at: http://www.aacn.org/

“All the so-called ‘secrets of success’ will not work unless you do.

—Author Unknown

How Healthcare Professionals Can Be More Assertive

Assertiveness is the art of being confident and having clear, honest, and direct communication while respecting other people. Being assertive is an essential skill for healthcare professionals, as it can improve self-esteem, increase confidence, provide greater job satisfaction, and contribute to managing stress. By being assertive, healthcare professionals can also improve the service we provide to our patients and clients.

Components of Assertive Behavior

Although this list is not inclusive, below are a few key components that comprise an assertive attitude.

1. Being able to say no. Many people become healthcare professionals because of a desire to help people. As such, it’s often very difficult for professionals to turn down requests from others. Remember, you have every right to say no when the task or favor being asked of you is unreasonable. By saying no, you’re appropriately expressing assertiveness, and you’ll discover that it helps prevent unnecessary stress and anger.

2. Asking for what you want. Assertiveness can help us make requests, give and receive praise, and give and receive feedback; all necessary skills in our daily lives. Being able to face these situations with confidence can lead to reduced stress and increased self-confidence. Remember to be clear and to the point when asking for something. If you’re vague or timid, people will either be confused or unconvinced in regard to the validity of your request.

3. Appropriately expressing thoughts and feelings. Assertiveness is about acting positively, being open and honest, listening, expressing feelings and ideas, and making decisions. As healthcare professionals, we need to have the skills to stand up for the rights of our clients as well as ourselves.

4. Initiating, continuing, and terminating interaction. Communicating clearly and in a positive way is critical when it comes to assertiveness. Assertive people not only know how to communicate, but when to communicate. If another patient or co-worker becomes too hostile for meaningful, productive conversation, it is your responsibility to terminate the interaction. Be sure to state your position clearly and tell the individual that you will not continue with the conversation until he/she can calm down.

Quick Tips

There are several small behavior adjustments you can make which can help you become more assertive. You can implement more assertive behaviors in your approach to others by:

• taking ownership and responsibility for what you say by using “I” statements
• making distinction between fact and opinion
• offering suggestions
• being constructive in criticism
• questioning to clarify and discover other opinions
• being aware of your non-verbal communications – tone, body language, facial expression, and eye contact
• writing down what you are going to say and taking time to rehearse it
• being honest with yourself and others
• actively listening to others
• being willing to compromise and negotiate
• thinking before you speak
• repeating your response, rather than being diverted into an argument
• admitting a mistake
• having the confidence to change your mind
• praising others

Assertiveness is not about personality, scoring points, winning at the expense of others, or manipulating people (all of which are aggressive behaviors). On the contrary, assertiveness is a learned behavior that allows you stand up for your personal rights without infringing on those of others. Essentially, when you’re assertive, everyone wins. No matter what stage you are in your life or career, it’s never too late to become more assertive. So, take note of the information and tips above and start practicing today.

Then and Now:

Signs We’re Getting Old

Then: Long hair.
Now: Longing for hair.

Then: Keg.
Now: EKG.

Then: Moving to California because it's cool.
Now: Moving to California because it's warm.

Then: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your parents.
Now: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your kids.

Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor.
Now: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor.

Then: Our president's struggle with Fidel.
Now: Our president's struggle with fidelity.

Then: Paar.
Now: AARP.

Then: Hoping for a BMW.
Now: Hoping for a BM.

Then: Getting out to a new, hip joint.
Now: Getting a new hip joint.