Good leaders know what it takes to inspire nurses to want to come to work every day. It takes a collaborative leadership approach that fosters shared decision-making and gives nurses the chance to share concerns and be part of solutions.
“Leaders who can create this environment create a space for joy that keeps existing nurses and attracts new ones,” says Joanie Guy, RN, MSN, JD, a long-time nurse leader currently serving as interim CNO at a large health system within the San Francisco Bay area.
Unfortunately, she says this joyful work environment simply isn’t in place in many hospitals and the biggest barrier is unsupportive leadership, which, combined with current practice challenges, is driving nurses out of jobs in record numbers. “The exodus of nurses from the profession is a multi-faceted problem that requires leadership collaboratively working with nurses to help bring back the joy and retention of nurses in the workplace.”
Today, Guy will give leaders evidence-based tools they can use to create a workplace nurses want to join. She gave Expo Daily News a view into what a joyful perioperative workplace looks like and where to start collaborating with the frontline to create an attractive workplace.
Creating Joy on the Job
Being heard and respected for your specific expertise creates positivity. That’s why Guy describes the most joyful workplace for nurses being a setting where leaders collaborate with frontline staff by asking their input and listening to formulate solutions together.
Guy asks any nurse leader facing a staffing challenge to take an honest look at their leadership approach and ask themself, “Am I a leader who is collaborative, empathetic, and an advocate for my nurses’ needs?”
Starting Collaborative Conversations
To begin fostering a climate where shared-decision making is the norm, Guy suggests teams start tackling two major issues affecting nurses that have evidence-based resources available to inform solutions.
- Staffing
With staff shortages an issue across the country, Guy says leaders and staff nurses should be exploring possible solutions to prevent undue strain on existing staff. One solution she suggests teams explore is nursing ratios. She points to studies on nursing ratios in California that show benefits such as lower patient mortality rates, higher nurse satisfaction and reduced occupational work injuries by over 30%. - Workplace Violence
Guy encourages leaders and frontline staff to collaborate on ways to prevent workplace violence against nurses. For example, this collaboration can leverage the wealth of information and practice standards on workplace violence to implement strategies that set expectations with patients, provide response teams to nursing, and provide training and skills to recognize and handle workplace violence. “This collaborative work must also establish an environment where nurses are safe from blame when a violent incident is reported,” she adds.
Guy will be presenting workplace strategies that inspire recruitment and retention during Leadership Summit Tuesday.
