Here are real-life examples of problems that impact morale of nursing staff and strategies used to address each, provided by Cynthia Russell, RN, MSN, director of the emergency department at Frederick (MD) Memorial Hospital:
1. A nurse failed to obtain visual acuity checks.
When questioned about this, the nurse pointed out that the tape used to mark the floor for the correct distance from the chart was missing. As a result, the nurse was no longer sure where to have the patient stand. "Upon further investigation, you find out that the last time the floor was stripped and waxed, the tape had been removed," says Russell. "This was an easy fix."
2. A nurse was frequently late.
Instead of disciplining the nurse, Russell made an effort to discover the root of the problem. She found out the nurse had a child with special needs. The child had just changed schools, and the new drop-off time was too late for the nurse to be on time to work. In cases like this, Russell says you should work with the nurse to change work shifts to eliminate the conflict.
3. A nurse was slow to acknowledge the nurse-order indicator on the electronic tracking system.
When Russell discussed the problem with the nurse, she learned that he was colorblind and having a hard time distinguishing the color indicator, which resulted in the delay. "We no longer use green as an indicator color, and so the issue was resolved," she reports.
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