All Entries Tagged With: "staff recognition"

Recognizing nurses with Cinnabons and parade floats

As Nurses Week is upon us (May 6-12), many organizations and companies are coming up with ways to honor nurses in any way they can. Whether it is free cookies in the break room, banners hanging from the ceilings, or a placard with quotes from physicians on why they appreciate nurses, most facilities are honoring their nurses. But it doesn’t stop there. Even some companies are honoring nurses.

Take Cinnabon, for instance.

Collaborating with The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune Systems) Foundation, these two companies found a way to show their appreciation for nurses and the extraordinary service nurses provide on a daily basis. During Nurses Week, when a nurse shows their healthcare badge at any local Cinnabon bakery, he or she will receive a free Cinnabon Classic Roll.

“Nurses always put others before themselves, so we’re happy to thank them for their constant ‘WOW’ service,” said Gary Bales, Cinnabon president, in an official statement. [more]

Recognize the Everyday Stuff Too!

Quint Studer, a well known healthcare leader who has led hospitals to breakthrough results, is a huge proponent of consistent and frequent employee recognition. One point Studer repeatedly makes in his publications is that many leaders never grasp hold of how vital recognition really is to employee morale.

Here is a sampling of Studer’s argument for giving compliments to staff, from Results That Last (2008): “So why don’t we give more compliments? For one thing, you’ve got to really watch for what someone is doing right and most of us haven’t mastered that art … leaders need to develop the skill sets for noticing incremental improvement because rewarded and recognized behavior gets repeated.” (p. 217).

Sometimes it helps us recognize best practice if we examine the flip side, what Studer calls “myths.” This is Studer’s list of common myths and excuses often cited for not giving staff compliments. Maybe you’ve heard some of them:

• “If I compliment them too much, they’ll get a big head”
• “If I tell them they’ve done a good job, they’ll get complacent”
• “I don’t need any compliments – why should they?”
• “They should just be happy with a day’s work for a day’s pay – in fact, they should be grateful to have a job at all!”
• “I can give out only so many compliments in a week.”
• “This is hokey”
• (And my all-time favorite) “That’s just fluff-stuff”

Studer says it’s okay if we feel uncomfortable as we begin to recognize and compliment staff. Like the Nike slogan says, Just Do It … and know that it will feel more natural with time. Remember,  recognized behavior gets repeated.

Studer, Q. (2008). Results That Last. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Showcasing nurses as a retention strategy!

As managers, we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to recognize our staff – - but we’re also in a constant budgetary constraint . By looking for situations in which we can showcase our staff, we may be able to provide a form of recognition for those nurses who enjoy the public eye, while helping our organization with recruitment at the same time!

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

• The next time your unit has something to report on in your Deaprtment Head meeting (most organizations have these at least once a month), have 2 or 3 staff members get up to present your data.
• Does your cluster have any type of “Huddles” or “Management Meetings”? This is another grand opportunity for staff to present information!
• Are you currently experiencing a staffing crunch? How about sending one of your RNs to a job fair or a College Career Day with your organization’s Nurse Recruiter? No one can sell your unit to potential applicants like a nurse who works there!
• Most everyone is familiar with the strategy of beginning staff meetings with a recent “positive story” or compliment received. How much more of a positive impact would this have if presented by a nursing peer? Or one of your care assistants or unit secretaries?

WHAT OTHER IDEAS HAVE YOU IMPLEMENTED?!

Excellent Quote to Ponder…
“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality – - and then there are those who turn one into the other.”
~ Douglas Everett; Canadian Attorney and Senator

Informal reward ideas!

Establish an informal reward that can be passed along. For example, in my department we have a STICKING YOUR NECK OUT AWARD. Every other month or so, someone is given a toy giraffe for going beyond their usual job duties. You can implement this and give a new giraffe each time, or have the recipient choose their successor and pass it along.

To avoid becoming a popularity contest, set some ground rules. For example, no one can win more than twice/year.

Be creative with this ~ A model brain could represent a QUICK THINKING AWARD; a pouch of toy gold coins can indicate YOU’RE SUCH A TREASURE; play money could represent YOUR ACTIONS ARE WORTH A MILLION or even be used to symbolize meeting departmental budget goals.

Please feel free to share some of your own ideas!

QUOTES TO PONDER
“I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought to be distilled into actions, which bring results.”
- Florence Nightingale

“Never settle for average; its as close to the bottom as it is to the top.”
- Unknown

Quick retention ideas!

This week’s retention ideas:

Suggest that your team create a basket filled with goodies for another department in the hospital-just to show your appreciation for something they did. Have your entire staff sign the card, they may add comments if they’d like to. The other staff will be shocked and amazed. Other benefits from this one act of kindness may include increased patience & respect between departments, adding value to others’ self-worth, and an improved work relationship!
[Some ideas: snacks such as microwave popcorn, pretzels, m&m's or cheese crackers; mini cans of soda; a bottle of Excedrin and a bottle of hand lotion]

To increase staff participation and ownership in their staff meetings, post a blank agenda in their lounge a week ahead of each scheduled meeting. Staff can post questions, concerns, or desired discussions. You may even become aware of issues you previously didn’t know about.

Something to ponder this week: 10 years from now, what will your staff remember about you?

Give your nurses a holiday e-card

In search of a simple way to let someone know you are thinking about them this holiday season? Just want to give a quick “thank-you” for all the hard work they do?

Here’s a quick and easy way to do it: Send some fellow nurses a holiday card here.

Holiday gifts for staff

by Shelley Cohen, RN, BS, CEN

Where does the time go?

Thanksgiving is around the corner and holiday shopping will soon be on everyone’s mind. What are you planning to do for your staff this year to show your appreciation? Some of you have a small group, while others may have more than 100 staff members, which can be very costly for the manager.

What gift ideas have worked well? And what ideas, well let’s just say, didn’t get the reception you were hoping for?