Leaning In

By Anna Lee Jones, CNO, Claiborne Memorial Medical Center You would have to be far removed from the world of healthcare today to not scroll through your favorite social media platform and see countless reels where healthcare workers discuss being mistreated, making fun of management and hospital administration. If you are a CNO, DON, CEO, CFO, or Unit Manager, the first inclination is to pull back and immediately say, “That’s not me.” I often cringe when I realize mistakes made as a younger manager, and I take note of skits relating to healthcare management and staffing. Being very self-aware and connected to what the staff is being fed is vital. We cannot continue to ignore the realities that have led to our current staffing crisis. I do not pretend to know everything about healthcare staffing or managing healthcare staff, but I do know a thing or two about people. Some characteristics bring warmth, and others lend themselves to coldness. As much as nurses like to eat, I assure you that pizza for the night shift is not the type of appreciation they seek. The extra shift diff is not enough for the time they spend away from their family, or they are sacrificing their sleep to spend more waking moments with their children and family. As a manager, do you know what motivates your employees? It is a key point to ponder, especially when addressing healthcare staffing in retention. Yes, there are healthcare shortages from doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, laboratory technologists, and every other patient-facing clinician in healthcare today. With staffing shortages, larger institutions have deepened their pockets, which is terrific in the post-COVID economy. Still, if you are not fulfilling the non-monetary needs of your employees, you will not retain them long term. There are core needs that must be met in healthcare workers for them to stay five years, and other than being paid fair wages, none of them has anything to do with money or pizza. Leaning in is not new, cutting-edge, or a new think tank theory. It is the basis of human connection, the foundational cornerstone of every relationship. If you have heard the old saying that no one appreciates anything more than being appreciated, you understand what I mean. I have found that the most beneficial means of employee retention is to practice what I call “leaning in.” Leaning in is simply being present and stepping in from time to time. Leaning in allows you to experience the happenings from the employee’s perspective. It also lets the employee see you climbing into “the trenches” with them. This time sharing fosters trust, and with trust comes an open relationship. With an open relationship, communication improves bi-directionally, showing the employees that their voice matters. As a CNO in a small rural hospital, I am afforded opportunities that my counterparts in larger institutions are not. I do not ever take that for granted. I still occasionally staff both the medical-surgical unit and work alongside my incredible ICU staff, where I quickly remind them that I am a solid second, but not a first. When I am alongside my staff, I relate to them on a different level; the bond, trust, and respect are different. Our relationships become different, deeper, and more mutually satisfying, and I can lean in and say the things they need to hear, like “Wow, great catch” and “You called that one, good job.” These small but personal interactions set the stage for genuine appreciation. Another core need for healthcare workers is respect. Every healthcare worker I have ever met had a very real and reasonable desire to be respected, and they should be. Even the most mediocre staff members have been tasked with saving lives, assisting with personal needs, and being present when life is at its worst. That is respectworthy, but you can only do that by leaning in. I hear so much about nurse retention bonuses, and while that is an excellent method to attract high performers, it is not the best method to retain them. As healthcare professionals, we prioritize the care for our patients. As healthcare managers, we need to prioritize the care and well-being of our staff. People who care for others need, deserve, and want to be cared for. Leaning in is not new, cutting-edge, or a new think tank theory. It is the basis of human connection, the foundational cornerstone of every relationship. Most importantly, it is not something that they should have to ask for. “Leaning In” is a way for managers to relate to their employees on a deeper level, work alongside them, and show appreciation directly. Retention of the best nurses in any organization solely lies in the hands of the nurses wanting to be retained. There is no single finding on a culture assessment at the smallest or largest healthcare facility, magic program, or employee recognition events that will keep an employee who feels undervalued, unappreciated, unchallenged, and unheard daily. “Leaning In” is about returning to the basics of healthcare staffing. It is about sharing experiences with nurses and other allied health professionals outside the supervisor-subordinate realm. Asking for opinions is leaning in. Hanging an antibiotic piggyback is leaning in. Answering call lights for 15 minutes while the ward clerk walks off the unit is leaning in. Offering to sit with a confused patient for 15 minutes is leaning in. Telling a nurse that you are proud of their work is leaning in. Utilizing all the compassion and grace we would have given our patients and now sharing that with our staff is “leaning in”. “Leaning In” works because it is meaningful and personal. It will cost you some time but also increase your joy as a manager to just “lean in”. The post Leaning In appeared first on HealthTech Magazines.

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