Engagement among nurses in the workplace continues to be an important aspect of the career that healthcare organizations must focus on if they want to retain quality staff. While this might sound like a strenuous task, there are actually many things that facilities can do to easily improve nurse staff engagement. This blog dives into a useful list of ways to help boost engagement among healthcare employees.
It is first beneficial to understand the factors that can contribute to low nurse staff engagement. For instance, low pay, poor leadership, long hours, inflexible schedules, and feelings of burnout can all lead to lowered levels of engagement. Not to worry though! There are many changes that can be made to help with this issue.
Communicating is essential when it comes to employee satisfaction and engagement. Your staff needs to know that they can ask you questions when needed and feel like they’re being kept in the loop. This is a simple yet effective strategy to promote staff engagement, and one that makes a big difference in the long run.
Nurses do so much for their patients and our communities, so it’s important that they’re recognized for all their hard work. Implementing a recognition program is a great way to boost engagement among employees. This can be as simple as gifting the hardest worker of the month a gift card or even some company merchandise they can wear to work!
When you ask for feedback from your employees, they feel valued. It shows that you care about their opinion and that you want to make the changes they want to see. When your staff feels like they are being heard, they feel even more like a part of the team. This in turn boosts engagement. However, it’s important to note that if you are going to ask for feedback, you have to act on it when applicable. Asking for feedback then ignoring it will make your staff feel like giving their feedback was a waste of time.
A great way to build team bonding is by getting together after work hours. When teams feel more connected with one another, they’re able to work better with one another. Going to dinner, playing a game of pickleball, or even getting coffee together is a great way to get to know each other. When your staff feels like they know you, they’ll feel more inclined to share their opinions and be engaged in their everyday work life.
Allowing your staff flexible hours and schedules is a great way to not only increase engagement but also decrease feelings of burnout. When staff are able to work a schedule that also fits around aspects of their personal life, such as taking their kids to school or scheduling appointments, this allows them to feel more engaged and less stressed. Additionally, your nurse staff will know that you care about their needs as well, leading to a more devoted employee. An easy way to implement more flexible schedules among your staff is by working with a float pool or using a per diem platform. Favorite excels in both float pools and per diem platforms, so be sure to look into our many services!
Temporary nurse staff might have a hard time feeling engaged if they are being treated differently than full-time staff. To combat this, it’s beneficial to treat your temporary and full-time staff equally. If you have an employee recognition program for full-time staff, then it would make sense to allow temporary staff to be a part of that as well. This will especially boost nurse staff engagement among temporary staff.
Investing in your employees’ education will benefit all parties involved. They get to further their education and career, and in turn, you get even more qualified talent! If you provide your staff with the training they need to become more advanced healthcare professionals, then you’ll have an even more skilled float pool to choose from.
It’s no secret that people like feeling heard in the workplace. It gives employees a sense of purpose and that their opinion matters. This also benefits employers because it brings new perspectives to the table. If nurses will be impacted by a decision, then it’s only fair that they have a say in the subject at hand.
A quick way to lose nurse staff engagement is by having a negative work environment. When nurses feel burnt out or like they don’t fit in with the rest of the staff, this can lead to a loss of engagement. Try your best to make your healthcare facility as welcoming and inclusive as possible. It will go a long way when it comes to staff engagement and retention.
All these strategies to boost nurse staff engagement are fairly easy to accomplish. Not only will the previously mentioned strategies help improve engagement, but they will also make your staff feel more valued, heard, and understood. With that comes higher retention rates, which is always an added benefit in the healthcare industry. We hope these strategies help your healthcare organization boost engagement among your staff. If you’re looking for a staffing partner that you can trust, don’t forget to explore our website for more information!