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Nurses being the least satisfied employees is troubling for an Americanhealth care system struggling with a nursing shortage crisis, according to theAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Press Ganey's reportincludes the National Nurse Loyalty and Retention Opportunity Index, whichshows nurses prioritize the following concerns:
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"In light of concerns about maintaining adequate nursing staff, it isparticularly important that senior leadership increase employee involvement tohelp re-build relationships and trust, and form true partnerships," saidDebbie Paller, vice president of Physician and Employee Services at PressGaney. "Not listening to or excluding them will lead to more frustration, andfrustration leads to more vacancies."
The annual report presents employees' and nurses' greatest concerns withtheir organizations and identifies improvement opportunities. The report alsofound that employees report the lowest overall satisfaction with:
Solutions
According to the 2008 Employee and Nurse Check-Up Report, organizationscan improve employees' perspectives and loyalty by creating a partnershipbetween employees and administrators. Employees need to feel that they arecontributing and valuable to the organization, therefore organizations should:
Organizations that take steps to partner with their employees can see notonly increased employee retention, but also increased patient volumes andsatisfaction, and healthier bottom lines. The health care industry isconstantly changing, and greater changes are on the horizon, but there isincredible potential for organizations that partner with their employees.
The 2008 Employee and Nurse Check-Up Report: Employee and NursePerspectives on American Hospitals is available athttp://www.pressganey.com/galleries/default-file/Employee_Nurse_Check-Up_10-08-08.pdf. Debbie Paller is available for comment upon request.
Case Study
Lowell General Hospital (LGH) in Lowell, Massachusetts is a 200-bed,independent, not-for-profit community hospital serving Lowell and itssurrounding communities. Located in the competitive New England market, LGH isalways struggling for patients, employees, and physicians. In 1999, LGHlearned the overall satisfaction and engagement of its employees ranked in the14th percentile. Their employees wanted more participation, recognition, andsupervision from senior management. They knew drastic improvements had to bemade in order to provide a successful culture for its employees.
Determined to make a change, LGH launched a new plan to improve employeeengagement and satisfaction. The new plan included:
These efforts led to a turnaround for LGH. Employee satisfaction increasedfrom the 14th percentile in 1999 to the 58th percentile in 2007, and turnoverdecreased from the 30th percentile in 2002 to the 13th percentile in 2007. LGHnow provides an environment where employees feel valued and appreciated, andwill better serve physicians and patients.
Press Ganey Associates, Inc.
For more than 20 years, Press Ganey has been committed to providinginsight that allows health care organizations to improve the quality of carethey provide while improving their bottom-line results. The company offers thelargest comparative customer feedback databases, actionable data, solutionresources, and unparalleled consulting and customer service. Press Ganeycurrently partners with more than 7,000 health care facilities -- includingover 40% of U.S. hospitals -- to measure and improve the quality of theircare.1) Senior leadership really listens to employees 2) Senior leadership responds promptly to most problems 3) Senior leadership can be trusted to be straightforward and honest 4) This organization has enough staff to provide quality care 5) Satisfied with level of involvement in decision making
SOURCE Press Ganey Associates
