Motivate and retain staff through open communication
Mutual respect is essential, expert says
Hospices can improve staff motivation and retention once administrators adopt a policy of open communication and mutual respect, an expert advises.
"Mutual respect is especially important," says Denise Bauer, RN, RRT, CHPN, chief executive officer of Fair Hope Hospice and Palliative Care in Lancaster, OH. Bauer and Karl Hartmann, who also is at Fair Hope Hospice, received the Heart of Ohio awards for hospice employees, presented in late 2004 by the Ohio Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (OHPCO) in Dublin, OH.
"We respect each other for their position on the team equally, and their opinions are valued," Bauer says. "The staff feel this is a comfortable place to share and work."
Despite having to cope with the hiring and competitive wage challenges common to free-standing hospices, Fair Hope Hospice has a pretty good staff retention overall, Bauer notes.
Retaining home health aides is the biggest challenge, and the hospice's annual turnover rate is about 25 percent, Bauer adds.
However, receiving the hospice employee honor from OHPCO was affirmation that the hospice's work in motivating and retaining employees, Bauer says.
Here are some of the strategies the hospice uses to improve employee morale and motivation:
* Use a motivation technique, such as FISH! Philosophy: The hospice sets the culture and tone for its staff through following the FISH! Philosophy ©, which was developed by John Christensen, chairman of ChartHouse Learning of Burnsville, MN (www.charthouse.com/)
"It's a motivational strategy for staff, which talks about open communication and respect, while having as much fun as you can in the workplace," Bauer says.
Hospice managers show FISH! Philosophy videotapes and books to staff, and they teach new employees the four key aspects of the philosophy, which are as follows:
• "Be present," Bauer says. "That's really actively listening and communicating with each other, not daydreaming when someone is talking on the phone, but listening and trying to help people."
Hospice staff are taught that it's important to be present with patients and families, showing they care and are not just doing a routine job, Bauer says.
"If a caller is talking to you, take time and listen, and if you don't have time, say, 'I don't really have time and can't talk right now,'" Bauer says. "But give people your undivided attention."
• The second aspect is "play."
"This means to allow people to give a more positive attitude about their work so they can do their work, but also smile and have positive energy in the workplace," Bauer says.
• The third point is to make their day, Bauer says.
Hospice staff need to try to do what's moral and help people as best they can, focusing on customer service, Bauer explains.
• And the fourth aspect is to choose your attitude, she says.
"People can choose their attitude on a daily basis," Bauer says. "And this also gives you permission to approach someone who has a bad attitude and talk with them about that."
* Keep staff meetings and managers' doors open: The hospice opens staff meetings to everyone, and there is an allotted time for workers to make announcements or to discuss important work issues, Bauer says.
"Sometimes we'll discuss information the staff need or we'll provide some kind of encouragement," Bauer says.
If the hospice has reached certain goals, then managers might celebrate by bringing pizza to a meeting or having a party for the staff, she says.
"Or if it's been a rough time lately, we'll do something special with staff, like a party," Bauer says. "And we have a surprise birthday party for the staff every year, instead of celebrating each individual birthday."
Staff also learn that they are free to bring their questions and problems to managers, who keep in touch with hands-on clinical care, Bauer says.
For instance, Bauer is the hospice's CEO, but she also continues to see patients on occasion.
"I would never ask someone to do something I wouldn't do myself," Bauer says. "One of the nurses said that the thing that helped her the most was that day I told her that if she needed to talk at any time, my door was open."
* Provide problem-solving presentations: "We do a case presentation during an inservice to show how to better manage patient care from physical, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects," Bauer says. "Sometimes the presentations are made up, and sometimes they come from different educational material."
The presentations are shown on an overhead projector and are printed on handouts, Bauer adds.
After they're read, the staff discuss various options.
Also, the staff have access to an ethics committee when an actual dilemma arises with a patient.
* Use performance reviews effectively: The hospice has routine audits and surveys of families to check performance improvement, Bauer says.
Also, there's a staff education day in November, she says.
"We try to make it fun as staff take time to do tests that check their performance and to make sure they're performing optimally on a yearly basis," Bauer says. "Each year it's based on a theme, such as the rodeo, which is this year."
Administrators for the rodeo theme dress up in cowboy outfits, and the hospice provides snacks, games with prizes, and the skills checklists and performance evaluations, Bauer says.
"We have the staff benefits displayed at stations where they can meet with people to learn more about them and to learn how to utilize them," Bauer adds.
Need More Information?
- Denise Bauer, RN, RRT, CHPN, Chief Executive Officer, Fair Hope Hospice and Palliative Care, 1111 E. Main St., Lancaster, OH 43130. Telephone: (740) 654-7077. Email: [email protected].
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content