Staff nurses and nurse managers tell me they really like Crucial Conversations as a guide in managing morale problems. Here's the deal: morale problems are always caused by problems in interpersonal relations among the staff. This book gives very specific and useful advice about how to talk about important issues/behaviors that are a problem among co-workers. Everyone has to handle these issues for themselves. It usually doesn't work to expect the nurse manager to step in and solve problems at the staff nurse level. The more each individual develops the skill of managing their own relationships successfully, the healthier a unit's morale will be. The manager's job is to help the staff develop the skill to talk about difficult situations skillfully, so that a solution can be reached that doesn't make the situation worse.
Then, send us your stories about handling difficult situations. You never know when your experience will be a 'teachable moment' for someone else struggling with a similar problem.
I especially invite veteran nurses to share their stories. We are losing wisdom and a sense of our own history as the Baby Boomers begin to retire.
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