When was the last time you said “thank you” to one of your nurses? These two simple words can have a lasting impact on your staff, which in turn, can trickle down to your facility’s patients. If your facility’s recognition program is a bit lackluster, you’ll need to take action and show your nurses you care. Here’s why employee appreciation is important:
It affects patient care outcomes:
There’s plenty of evidence that supports the idea that happy nurses equal healthier patients. According to the American Nurses Association’s National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators, a 25 percent increase in nurse job enjoyment over a two-year span was linked with an overall quality of care increase between 5 and 20 percent. Conversely, a National Institute of Nursing Research study found that as the proportion of nurses working shifts of more than 13 hours increased, patients’ dissatisfaction with care increased. While these results aren’t necessarily surprising, they do highlight the need for employers to invest in their healthcare professionals.
It increases staff morale:
According to a Gallup study, only one in three U.S. workers strongly agrees that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days. That’s a problem because little to no recognition can cause staff morale to suffer. After all, your nurses went into healthcare to make a difference, and they deserve to be rewarded and recognized for their work. Additionally, meaningful employee recognition can often act as a morale booster and reinforce your facility’s positive workplace culture.
It boosts retention and recruitment efforts:
When your nurses are engaged at work, they’re less likely to leave, and that means higher retention rates. Likewise, these happy nurses are much more likely to encourage those in their professional network to apply for your facility’s open positions. This word-of-mouth can be a powerful recruitment tool and help you quickly find the experienced clinicians you need.
Acknowledging your top nurses’ work will make them feel valued and appreciated. In turn, this recognition can lead to other positive workplace outcomes.
What do you do to show your staff you appreciate them? Let us know in the comments below!