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Web site spotlight: Boost morale in a time of uncertainty

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, April 17, 2009

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Healthcare facilities nationwide are trimming staff, freezing pay, and cutting incentive programs to stay financially afloat in the current economic climate. Unfortunately doing so is likely to sink staff morale, which can drag the facility’s quality of care down with it.

If you don’t have a surplus of funds in your educational budget, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to boost morale. Here are four ways to reward your staff at little to no cost:

1. Encourage staff electronically. Send an e-mail to staff complimenting them on a particularly excellent example of teamwork.
2. Perform personalized rounds. Make it a point to ask staff how their day is going or how their weekend was.
3. If your budget allows for it, get staff some slices. Order a pizza if staff are too busy to take a lunch break. If your budget doesn’t allow for pizza, organize a potluck lunch or dinner that all staff members can contribute to.
4. Create transparency with communication. “If staff know what is going on in the organization they will be willing to help out,” says Charlene Kirby, RN, urgent care nurse manager at Vail (CO) Valley Medical Center. “I share with staff where the organization is financially and we talk about how the economy is affecting other people so staff realize we are all in this together.”

Editor’s note: This excerpt was adapted from “10 cost-effective and creative tips to boost staff morale” found in the Reading Room at www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com. Get a free trial membership that will give you 30 days to test drive all the exciting features on the Web site.

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