All Entries Tagged With: "staff development"
You can’t teach with apathy: Why it’s important to support your preceptors
by Julie Harris, MSN, RN
I occasionally peruse online nursing forums to see what the hot topics are. Last night, I was on a highly popular forum and came across an interesting discussion. A new graduate was being oriented and her preceptors were not interested in training her. She perceived their behavior as intimidating and somewhat hostile and she didn’t know what her next step should be. Should she quit and look for a new job? Should she stick it out?
Responses to her post ranged from “This is part of orientation. Try not to take it personal,” to “Those nurses shouldn’t be preceptors. If this facility supports that kind of behavior, you need to leave and find a new job.”
I find myself agreeing more with the last response. Nobody should be forced to precept. Some nurses are wonderful caregivers with excellent clinical skills; however they do not possess the desire to train orientees. Other nurses have a strong craving to teach and pass on their knowledge to orientees. Both options are perfectly acceptable.
Effective precepting: Giving feedback to orientees
Whenever I conduct a preceptor workshop, I always ask the question, “What is the most difficult aspect of precepting?” I usually get a range of answers, but at least one nurse will always say, “Providing feedback to orientees.” Providing feedback can be difficult, especially if it is your first time doing it.
In a preceptor-orientee relationship, the best type of feedback to provide is constructive feedback. Constructive feedback focuses on improving orientees’ performance by reinforcing desired behavior, and correcting poor performance. It allows orientees to maintain their motivation for learning, and enables them to experience at least partial success.
Nursing reviews change across the country
Everyone has to undergo a performance review, including nurses. At some facilities, it can take place annually, maybe every six months, or even every other year. Nurses may be asked to fill out a 10-page form that helps their managers score qualities such as “leadership” or “respectfulness.” Or maybe the nurses don’t have to fill out a form, but rather have an electronic system tracking every project they do, and if a task is not completed on time, the information is logged into a performance system.
No matter the case, many organizations are changing the way performance reviews are conducted to separate top performers from underachievers. According to Hewitt Associates, 10% of managers and 11% of other employees are now judged solely on the results they achieve, as opposed to a combination of hard figures and additional behavioral characteristics. [more]
Book clubs help nurses connect with patients
When the phrase “book club” comes up, one thinks of a group of people, meeting at a coffee shop or a member’s home, discussing the most recent best seller showcased on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime television show. However, the definition of a book club will now have to include nurses reading medical-themed literature to better connect with their patients.
The first hospital to institute the idea of a nurse/physician-based book club was in 1997, and over the past decade, similar ideas and book clubs have become more popular across 25 states, including California, Massachusetts, and New York. [more]
New findings say progress means more than recognition
A new report in the Harvard Business Review contradicts the idea that employees value recognition of their efforts higher than anything else. Amabile and Kramer write that the top motivator of performance is progress.
The study involved gathering more than 12,000 e-mail diary entries from the participants, which revealed that making progress in one’s work, no matter how little or big, is associated with positive emotions and high motivation. The survey notes when participants experienced progress in their jobs, 76% of people reported it as their best day. [more]
Sim Man 3G becoming more common in nursing education
Many facilities across the nation are investing in state-of-the art technology that allows students and staff members to gain real life experience without the fear of killing a patient.
The high-tech mannequin, Sim Man 3G, costs roughly $27,000, but can cost up to $60,000 with additional accessories and programs available for download onto the mannequin. Even though many facilities have been forced to cut back on their programs and spending, the price of Sim Man 3G has not deterred facilities from purchasing the state-of-the are technology. [more]
Nurse liability: Keeping you and your staff educated and aware
As a nurse manager, you have many legal concerns. Not only must you be concerned with your own liability, but you must also stay alert about the liability risks of the nurses working under your supervision.
Although some liability risks are universal to all nursing practice areas, certain clinical settings also generate liability risks. As the nurse manager, being knowledgeable and educating your staff about universal liability risks and those specific to a practice area will increase the quality of care provided and reduce liability.
Some universal liability risks include the following:
- Failure to communicate patient’s condition to other healthcare professionals
- While a patient is hospitalized, his/her condition must be monitored continually and evaluated. Pertinent physical findings must be reported promptly to the healthcare professionals involved in the patient’s care. [more]
Calming the hysterical
by Deanna Miller, RN, MSN/Ed, HCE
The other day I was spending much of my time out on my Medical Surgical unit because of an increase in census and acuity. As I was walking down the hallway one of my seasoned RN’s approached me with eyes bugging from her head and the fear of the unknown on her face. Before she could say a word I asked her, “What’s wrong?” As she wiped the beads of sweat from her brow she stated, “I have been trying to get that PCA pump to work for the past half hour and I just can’t get it to infuse.” She was frustrated, agitated and I knew that the patient was having to observe this during her entire time of troubleshooting that darn PCA pump.
I asked the RN to remove the pump from the room and bring it to the medication room so that we could trouble shoot together. She obtained the pump and we did work it out. My words of wisdom were these; if you are having difficulty with a piece of technical equipment in a patient’s room and you are not able to resolve the problem quickly, sometimes it is good judgment to remove the equipment from the room, if you are able. Work on it in another area. Reason: Your frustration may be perceived by the patient as hostility, lack of knowledge or frustration. You can also take a minute and get a cold beverage……Have any of you experienced the same?
Managing those “special” requests
by Deanna Miller, RN, MSN/Ed, HCE
We have all had our staff come to us because of a special need or request. Perhaps they need a day off for an event or opportunity that could not be planned ahead of time. Maybe their child is ill and needs to be taken to the doctors, or the parent of a staff nurse’s boyfriend dies and it is not covered under the facilities bereavement policy. How do you handle these. When I was a new manager I can remember not making any exception and following the “rules” to the T. Over the years I have learned that, just as in nursing practice, I must think outside the box when handling the personal issues also. Here are my decision process steps for those personal requests:
- I first place myself in the shoes of the requester. How would I feel if I were in their predicament.
- Is it a “Once in a Lifetime” opportunity?
- Will saying no have a negative affect on the emotional or physical well-being of the requestor or their loved ones?
- How will it affect my unit if they are absent and do I have alternative to replace them during their absence.
Having a heart and being fair exposes the “human” side of you. This helps to gain trust and comradery. How do you handle the special requests of your staff?
