In honor of National Nurses Week, hospitals can show their appreciation for nursing staff with five initiatives, according to 
employee recognition firm Michael C. Fina (MCF)
Spotlight exceptional care: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) makes patient satisfaction more important than ever, according to the MCF report, and much of the responsibility for it falls on nurses. "Linking rewards to patient experience outcomes is quickly becoming an industry best practice," the report states. The three primary factors that influence patient recommendations are facility conditions, concern and courtesy from staff, and length of wait time, according to the report.
Give managers recognition tools: Since nurses spend almost as much time interacting with managers as with patients, the report says, they need to work well together. "On-the-spot recognition, achievement based awards, and team or departmental awards can all give managers an easy tool to recognize their nursing staffs," it states.
Recognize loyalty: Nearly 85 percent of organizations give out service awards, making them the most prevalent recognition initiative, according to the report. About two-thirds of organizations believe the industry should recognize an employee's service after his or her first anniversary, MCF states.
Acknowledge discretionary efforts: "As long-standing champions of the patient experience, nurses spend extra effort comforting patients' families, keeping an eye on medical supplies when stock is low, and developing process improvements to make the experience better," the report states. Organizations should take time to recognize employees who are able to go above and beyond expectations in these areas.
Encourage training and certification compliance: Healthcare providers should provide staff with incentives to renew certifications and take part in training opportunties, according to the report. Hospitals that offered incentives achieved 68 percent compliance over a 30-day period, compared to 46 percent for those that didn't.
To learn more:
- read the report (.pdf)