Ask Julie
Ask Julie your toughest questions. Get advice on real issues that impact you on the job.
As nurse workloads increase, nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction can lead to acting out, bullying, or just being plain difficult. According to an article in the Journal of American Medical Association in 2002, job dissatisfaction among hospital nurses is 4 times greater than the average for all US workers. Sometimes the stress and challenge of nursing leads nursing professionals to behave in unhealthy and unproductive ways. No one likes dealing with problems, but oftentimes problems are opportunities in disguise. Perhaps your colleague represents an opportunity for positive change.
Consider the following approaches improving relations with your difficult nursing colleague:
Approach 1: Seek departmental policy changes to establish performance standards for all health care professionals and “no bullying” policies on. It is important to remember when taking this approach to seek out changes in a non-punitive way with the intention of creating a positive, professional atmosphere for everyone.
Approach 2: Focus on your personal wellbeing and health, and that of your unit. Any time we elevate our inner condition we change the conditions around us. By working towards creating a happier and healthier environment for ourselves, two things can happen: first, the unit becomes a more positive and constructive place. Secondly, your burned-out colleague might actually become revitalized. Health, like disease, is infectious. Simple ways you can elevate the community and environment include: bringing in breakfast for the staff; extending simple courtesies such as saying “thank you” and “your welcome;” and informally or formally recognizing a job well done. Make positive feedback a central part of your unit or department’s goals for the next month, and offer to help others even when they don’t ask for it. Perhaps by making your unit a more humane place to work, your colleague will become reinvigorated, and so will you.
Approach 3: Approach your colleague with the intention of establishing a trusting relationship. Open dialogue with active listening. Engage your colleague by validating her feelings and current situation. You might say, “I have noticed that you are not yourself. You seem like you are burned-out and tired. How can I support you right now?” Ask open-ended questions that generate constructive conversation. Refrain from judgment and recognize that your colleague is probably suffering, otherwise he/she wouldn’t be acting in the way that they are. Help your colleague clarify their feelings. Perhaps with your help, your colleague might be able to bring their feelings to a level of awareness where they can be addressed and resolved. Invite possible solutions and creative brainstorming. Champion your colleague rather than alienating him/her. When we are personally struggling, what we really need is to be acknowledged and supported, even when we are behaving badly.
Building bridges and relationships help to extinguish conflict quickly. Taken together, these three approaches provide a cohesive, powerful strategy for creating a healthy working environment for everyone. Put these recommendations into practice for one month and let us know how it goes. We want to hear from you.
As nurse workloads increase, nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction can lead to acting out, bullying, or just being plain difficult. According to an article in the Journal of American Medical Association in 2002, job dissatisfaction among hospital nurses is 4 times greater than the average for all US workers. Sometimes the stress and challenge of nursing leads nursing professionals to behave in unhealthy and unproductive ways. No one likes dealing with problems, but oftentimes problems are opportunities in disguise. Perhaps your colleague represents an opportunity for positive change.
Consider the following approaches improving relations with your difficult nursing colleague:
Approach 1: Seek departmental policy changes to establish performance standards for all health care professionals and “no bullying” policies on. It is important to remember when taking this approach to seek out changes in a non-punitive way with the intention of creating a positive, professional atmosphere for everyone.
Approach 2: Focus on your personal wellbeing and health, and that of your unit. Any time we elevate our inner condition we change the conditions around us. By working towards creating a happier and healthier environment for ourselves, two things can happen: first, the unit becomes a more positive and constructive place. Secondly, your burned-out colleague might actually become revitalized. Health, like disease, is infectious. Simple ways you can elevate the community and environment include: bringing in breakfast for the staff; extending simple courtesies such as saying “thank you” and “your welcome;” and informally or formally recognizing a job well done. Make positive feedback a central part of your unit or department’s goals for the next month, and offer to help others even when they don’t ask for it. Perhaps by making your unit a more humane place to work, your colleague will become reinvigorated, and so will you.
Approach 3: Approach your colleague with the intention of establishing a trusting relationship. Open dialogue with active listening. Engage your colleague by validating her feelings and current situation. You might say, “I have noticed that you are not yourself. You seem like you are burned-out and tired. How can I support you right now?” Ask open-ended questions that generate constructive conversation. Refrain from judgment and recognize that your colleague is probably suffering, otherwise he/she wouldn’t be acting in the way that they are. Help your colleague clarify their feelings. Perhaps with your help, your colleague might be able to bring their feelings to a level of awareness where they can be addressed and resolved. Invite possible solutions and creative brainstorming. Champion your colleague rather than alienating him/her. When we are personally struggling, what we really need is to be acknowledged and supported, even when we are behaving badly.
Building bridges and relationships help to extinguish conflict quickly. Taken together, these three approaches provide a cohesive, powerful strategy for creating a healthy working environment for everyone. Put these recommendations into practice for one month and let us know how it goes. We want to hear from you.
The average health care professional grew up without some of the hallmarks of modern technology, like the smart phone, digital camera, texting, or the iPad. The pace at which technology changes is blindingly fast, especially for those of us who didn’t grow up in the technology age. However, increasingly in the health care setting, high-touch is now high-tech; and providing high quality compassionate care in an increasingly technological environment is our new practice reality. The first step in becoming more comfortable and welcoming of technology is to truly appreciate how these advances benefit patient care. Changing our mindset away from thinking in terms of, “How will this impact me?” to a more patient-centered mindset of, “How will this impact the patient?” It is easy to forget that technology can and does help solve real problems. Did you know 30% of doctors cannot access a chart during a visit; 70% of patient’s paper records are incomplete; 11% of lab tests are reordered because the results are not recorded; and 50% of nursing time is comprised of writing in charts? Technologies such as electronic medical records (EMR) help to address problems such as these and dramatically improve patient care.
I encourage you to face your fears head-on. Take a few online courses, or check into courses offered by a local community college or high school. Anything you can do to increase your familiarity and confidence with technology directly diminishes fear. Remember, ultimately you and the patient benefit when you are truly confident in your practice.
