Staff recognition in healthcare has increased employee satisfaction, engagement, retention, and patient satisfaction/outcomes.
At both an individual and organizational level, the impact of staff recognition is profound. It increases employee retention rates, fewer absenteeism rates, employee satisfaction, engagement, and better patient outcomes/experience.
Nursing is known to be one of the most rewarding professions, but equally can be one of the most stressful. In return, embodying a healthy work environment will create a symbiotic reaction where staff and patients will thrive.
Meaningful staff recognition as encouragement
Meaningful recognition is designed to encourage staff to repeat positive performance. For example, if a nurse leader goes up to a team member and says, “great job!” but gives little context, it may be difficult for the nurse to know what they are doing “right.”
Be specific.
Be timely and concise when providing staff recognition
Be timely with staff recognition and identify precisely what that employee did to exceed expectations. For example, during nurse leader rounding, a patient states, “Samantha was an excellent nurse!” it is critical to expand on that and facilitate a further conversation with the patient about what was satisfactory. Maybe she was very attentive in providing support to the patient or responded to a call bell fast, so she always asked for clarification.
In being specific, nurses can feel valued for the hard work they do daily in a meaningful way that encourages repeat behavior and serves as a model for the rest of the team.
Here is an excellent example of staff recognition from a nurse leader:
“Hi, Maria –
I wanted to share with you that Mr. Smith, in room 487, told me that you were the “Best Nurse” ever. He said to me that you hung the pictures of his grandchildren by his bed so that he could look at them all the time. He was so grateful for your kindness. Thank you so much for recognizing his family’s importance during his recovery. You are a special person. I am so grateful that you are part of our work family.” Keep up the outstanding work that you are doing!
Conclusion
In conclusion, staff recognition allows your team to grow, improve, and feel satisfied in their individual and organizational work. Reduce costs associated with employee turnover rates and medical errors, and watch patient satisfaction improve. A nurse entering a patient’s room with a healthy, motivated mindset will naturally allow for high-quality care.
Seyzo Health encourages staff recognition with customizable dashboards. Contact us today for more information on our nurse leader rounding and healthcare digital rounding platform!
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