Recruitment and Retention Require Respect
Lorraine Steefel, RN, MSN, CTN
Tuesday July 17, 2007
Sharan Lee Bidle, RN, BSN, MSA, left, of University of Maryland Medical Center, and Terry K. Bennett, RN, BSN, right, of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
(PHOTO BY KEITH WELLER)
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Respect – elusive but key to R&R
Nurses say they want more respect. In their responses to two national surveys conducted by Gannett Healthcare Group's senior vice president of Professional Services, Beth Ulrich, RN, EdD, FAAN, FACHE, and colleagues, nurses ranked respect from management and administration as a key influence to retention.
Participants on www.nurse.com's Nurse To Nurse message board define respect as —
* Listening and evaluating
* Being treated like a professional
* Having consideration for one another
* Knowing that individuals have differences in culture and experiences, which affect opinions
* Understanding there are home lives and stresses unrelated to work
They say ways to demonstrate respect include —
* Not resorting to name calling
* Displaying courtesy at all times
* Not yelling or interrupting
* Offering assistance when someone is under the gun
* Complimenting others
* Asking questions to learn
* Quickly studying problems, gathering input, and offering solutions
* Establishing parameters
* If solution A does not work, moving on to solution B
* No tolerance of verbal abuse
* Thanking people. Truly appreciating those around you. None of us can do it alone.
First-person commentaries —
* As nurses, we want respect for the effort we put out and the work that we do. We want it (and deserve it) from our patients, their families, our employers, doctors, co-workers, and the public.
* Respect at work means proper orientation and mentoring for those new to the profession. Lose the backbiting mentality that leads to petty write-ups, tattling, and junior high school level socializing that includes ostracizing fellow workers. Be there for each other; anyone can have a bad day and need extra support. Help each other and be nice.
* Respect is not belittling what I do, rather it is appreciating what I contribute to the healthcare team. It is collaboration on important issues in the workplace. It is talking to me as you would a colleague, not treating me like a subordinate. It is listening when I have input, and placing importance on what is needed to do my job safely, correctly, and efficiently. It is autonomy for our practice.
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The public respects nurses. Every year the annual Gallup Poll on professional honesty and ethics rates nursing as the top profession. The question is how highly are nurses regarded at their healthcare organizations? If you are a new RN looking for employment or a seasoned veteran considering a job change, interpersonal traits that an organization demonstrates can help you decide. Here are headliner recruitment and retention qualities that area recruiters and nurse leaders endorse.1. Respect
Hands down, respect rates as the most valued interpersonal attribute an organization should display. Although it's hard to put into words, respect is like quality — you know it when you feel it, says Barbara Mankey, RN, BSN, MA, with Penn Home Care & Hospice Services. "Respect means treating the other person the way you want to be treated — even the smallest detail can make all the difference.""Respect includes a nurturing attitude that encourages collegiality and a sense of community and professional growth," says Pia Salazar, RN, nurse recruiter at Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, N.J.Respect is shown by organizations that include nurses in everyday operations. Elizabeth Bobulski, RN, MPH, senior vice president of Patient Care Services CNO at Cooper University Hospital (CUH) in Camden, N.J., gives an example of how CUH defines respect: "Unique to CUH is the inclusion of a staff nurse who will sit as a voting member on the Quality Committee of the CUH Board of Trustees."How facilities communicate respect and recognition is the key factor that influences nursing recruitment and retention, says Sharon Rimler, RN, BSN, MS, director of Nurse Recruitment at Metropolitan Jewish Health System (MJHS), Brooklyn, N.Y.Organizations exhibit respect by providing professional programs for nurses. Terry Bennett, RN, BSN, SPHR, director of Nurse Recruitment at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (JHBMC) in Baltimore, says that if she were looking for a job, she would consider the learning, career progression, or advancement opportunities and the systems in place to recognize and reward RNs so they feel valued.2. Responsiveness
Responsiveness means good communication, keeping nurses informed of what's going on and involved in the decision-making process, says Salazar. "When nurses are listened to, they are more committed to the organization and feel more valued," she says.Participation via a shared governance model assures that nurses are part of the decision-making process, says Mary Matthews, RN, CCM, CPUR, co-chair with Bobulski of the RN Retention Task Force at CUH. "A seat at the decision-making table encourages nurse retention."If Mankey were a new hire or were considering a career move, she would consider the listening skills of the organization as an important deciding factor. "I would want the organization to listen to my concerns and needs for a position," she says. Recruiters, usually the first contact new hires make with an organization, are a snapshot of the entire organization's responsiveness, says Mankey."If we can't tolerate poor service in the business world, why should we in the world of health care?"Most RNs are looking for an organization that cares about them as professionals, says Bennett. Word gets out about how facilities treat their nurses and motivates RNs to seek jobs or remain at an organization, she says.Caring is what most attracts nurses to an organization, Rimler says. She tells nurses that MJHS is an organization that cares about professional growth; work and life balance; recognition through training and development; and collaboration with others that promotes a teamwork atmosphere, which impacts quality of patient care.3. Relationship with manager
When we ask RNs why they stay at their jobs, we frequently hear that it's all about relationships with co-workers and the person they see as their leader — the charge nurse or nurse manager, says Bennett. The literature shows that when nurses leave, they leave the manager, not the organization."Nurses' relationships with their managers are extremely important," says Sharan Lee Bidle, RN, BSN, MSA, nurse recruiter at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), Baltimore. "Managers are nurses' lifelines on the unit, coaches who provide direction for their short- and long-term personal and professional goals," she says. Managers set the tone on the unit with their accessibility. They help RNs problem-solve and provide them help and resources through crises. "The manager is essential to help nurses be and stay successful in the organization," Bidle says.Managers' styles can vary from unit to unit but must be friendly and welcoming. Salazar describes the effective model manager as one with an open-door policy who is highly visible and available to staff on every shift. "Managers must provide leadership and direction to staff, be mentors for new nurses, and encourage effective communication," she says.4. Recognition
"All of us want to be appreciated for our contributions," says Bobulski. "RNs receive accolades from patients and families, but recognition from the organization is important," she says.Nurses want recognition for what they do in an 8- or 12-hour day — to know that what they do has a purpose and is acknowledged by peers and the employer, says Mathews. "When you leave at the end of the day you have a feeling that you did all you can do," she says.Recognition means having influence over one's job and personal schedules, and being able to express your opinion and give input into decisions on your unit, and be listened to, says Bennett.Recognition is also indicated by a strong commitment to excellence of nursing practice as demonstrated by shared governance, journey to Magnet, and a fellowship for new grads or inexperienced nurses, which, Bidle says, is present at the UMMC. "If I were job hunting, I would look for an academic medical center setting with a strong educational component on the cutting edge of nursing practice," she says. "I would want to work in an organization that would support me and my passion for learning formally and informally."Mankey says, "Organizations that survive the best are those that recognize the people in the organization, through large programs or through little ways, like the manager saying, 'You did a great job today.'"Lorraine Steefel, RN, MSN, CTN, is a senior staff writer for Nursing Spectrum. To comment, e-mail pmeredith@gannetthg.com.
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