Doris Young Associates'
Young Thoughts
Volume 5, Issue XII
December 2004

IN THIS ISSUE

Rx for Nursing Shortage from Gallup
Work Expectations Affect Loyalty

Rx for Nursing Shortage from Gallup

Registered nursing is projected to have the largest job growth in the next decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The gap between supply and demand will continue to widen because nurses are leaving the profession due to the tense work environment, inadequate staffing, and inflexible work schedules. Negative press that discourages new nurses from entering the field complicates the problem.

Healthcare organizations that want to overcome the critical problems of nursing vacancy and turnover rates must respond to the challenges that lie ahead. Aging baby boomers will have a double impact in the next 10 years since the demand on the system will become greater while availability of nurses will decrease.

A nursing career is now seen as challenging and as a result is attracting more aggressive, risk-accepting individuals for financial and security reasons. These individuals may not be well equipped to provide the compassionate and high-quality care demanded of them. It is also difficult for hospitals to keep these employees engaged in the hospital's strategies and operations. This sets up an environment that compromises patient quality and service.

To overcome these issues hospitals must recognize the importance and impact of leadership. Most nurses would like to be engaged by a great nurse manager who is highly visible, a good listener, a team advocate, and consistent. Talents like these cannot be taught, but are important skills that can be learned through effective coaching.

Hospital must also tailor their policies and practices to the diverse nature of their nursing workforce. Flexible work schedules, advanced education funding and childcare may be desirable to the younger nurse. Fewer hours per shift or job sharing may be more appealing to the older nurse.

Hospitals that recognize and respect their nurses and their decision making power in areas of patient care, workspace design, equipment selection, and human resource policies will have a significant impact on nurses' engagement and loyalty to the organization.

The most successful hospitals are proactive about solving the nursing shortage by focusing on finding the best nurses and potential nurses. They are making sure they have great managers and are creating policies that respond to the diverse workforce.

Doris Young has 30 years of healthcare experience with dozens of training and coaching programs to develop and improve performance. These programs can help improve communication, ease frustration and conflict while developing effective mangers to take healthcare teams to the next level. Contact Doris at 800 673-8005 or at www. DorisYoungAssociates.com

Work Expectations Affect Loyalty

Do you know what your work expectations are? How do your expectations affect your work? What do you do with your unmet needs? Everyone has expectations. Some are spoken while others are not. Research on expectations in the workplace has shown that employment relationships are strongly affected by expectations. As a person begins a job, certain expectations of that position are made clear, such as salary, the hours he or she will be working, and the tasks that will be performed while at work. Frequently, expectations are not clearly stated or are simply assumed.

Expectations influence thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and attitudes. Attitudes can significantly impact others whether intentional or not. Creating and maintaining a positive attitude is important to every organization. Open dialogue between employer and employees help to uncover the unspoken, unrecognized expectations that can result in negative attitudes. Greater job satisfaction is likely when expectations are well communicated and clearly defined.

For example, everyone knows compensation is important to all employees although each differ on how much compensation is expected. What is important to a healthcare employer is whether their staff believes that their salary meets their expectation. If the salary doesn't meet expectations and the employee doesn't make this expectation known he or she will look for and eventually find another employer or worse continue working and possibly develop a negative attitude.

Your staff differ on their expectation about many things. Helping them understand and manage their expectations will create an organization that ensures commitment. People differ on their expectations about the amount of information needed to do their job. They have expectations about the amount of difference they can accept, types of recognition, level of autonomy, how social they want the environment to be, and how physically demanding the environment should be.

The ability to express concerns and express their creativity is different for each person. People differ on the amount of teamwork they want and need. They differ on the amount of stability in their position. Helping your nursing staff to express this is no easy task, but it can be done if you have the right tools.

It is not only important for nurses to know what their expectations are, but it is also important for them to know what to do about it if they are not getting their expectations met.

Creating loyalty requires looking at many factors. To help increase your organization's understanding about expectations contact Doris Young at 800 673-8005 or at www.DorisYoungAssociates.com

On the Lighter Side

A drunk staggered into a Pennsylvania ER complaining of severe pain while trying to remove his contact lenses. He said that they would come halfway, but they always popped back in. A nurse tried to help using a suction pump, but without success. Finally, a doctor examined him and discovered the man did not have his contact lenses in at all. He had been trying to rip out the membrane of his cornea.

This Newsletter has been developed to provide tips to create loyalty in the healthcare workplace. If you want to make positive changes in your organization, contact us for a free consultation. Call us at (800) 673-8005 or visit our website at www.DorisYoungAssociates.com.

May your life be filled with abundance of health, wealth, and happiness!

©Copyright 2004, Doris Young Associates

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