Recent studies have connected patient safety and satisfaction to the quality of a facility’s work environment. It is no surprise that superior health care environments are correlated with nurse satisfaction, including decreased levels of stress and burnout, as well as increased staff retention. I believe that satisfied nurses are more likely to provide safe care and positive patient rapport.
An affirmative workplace is one which enhances our ability to provide quality care, while meeting our own personal and professional needs. But, specific attributes of a “quality environment” vary according to the eye of the beholder. For instance, nurse-executives often promote such popular concepts as professional development and staff education. Yet, the concern of the typical staff nurse revolves around his immediate workload. As he buzzes about providing patient care, he silently wonders, ‘HOW can I be expected to attend educational activities, when it is impossible to ever leave the floor?’
Thus, without administrative support, bedside nurses often miss golden opportunities for “professional growth.” The simple truth is that there may not be anyone available to attend to their patients in their absence.
Still, let’s not lose sight of the many positive rewards of nursing. There are times when the professional satisfaction is enormous. Don’t you love those days when, at the end of a tough shift, you are positive that you made a difference in the lives of your patients? I live for those shared moments with our entire care team, when we pull together and function like a well-oiled, compassionate machine to save the life of a patient or improve the quality of their stay. And what about the powerful bonds that we establish with patients, family members and colleagues?
Sure, along with these rewards comes a certain amount of inevitable stress. Staff nurses feel the constant strain of assuring patient safety and privacy, while protecting ourselves from potential liability. We struggle to find time and energy to nurture ourselves and our own families.
Unfortunately, this stress can, at times, overwhelm the new nurse. It drives some nurses away from the bedside and, even from our profession. To some degree, as nurses, we can help to alleviate some of this strain among our peers. We can take a moment to offer a listening ear or a helping hand. But, we also need the support of our facilities.
We all crave environments that promote “interdisciplinary care” and “nurse autonomy.” Yet, in order to implement these ideals, nurses need proper tools and administrative support.
Support is especially vital to the bedside nurse, who works at the front line of care. We serve as liaison between patient and provider. We represent the public face of nursing. In many ways, the staff nurse is the most prevalent (and popular) figure in our current health care system. We are also incredibly busy. It can be difficult to find the time or energy to participate in planning and policy decision-making when our work time is consumed by the daily challenge of patient care and documentation. Yet, precisely because we are at the frontline, we are most qualified to provide reality checks to administrators. We quickly see which policies work, and which ones don’t.
I believe that most administrators want to provide nurses with positive working environments. But, in order to succeed, they need our input. Let’s start with something simple, like the supply closet. Wouldn’t you love to have easy access to necessary equipment and supplies? A consistently well-stocked, organized supply closet can greatly improve the nursing experience. What about technology? Well-functioning technology can enhance safety, by providing built-in safety checks (such as bar-coded medication labels and identification bands). Finally, administrators can easily elevate staff morale by sharing a few simple words of appreciation, or a reassuring smile.
Do you think your facility has a positive work environment? Who do you think should define “quality” in our workplaces?