Marina’s Evidence Based Theoretical Framework Foundation and Components
Empowerment Campaign
My story of leading through empowerment goes back to when I began my nursing career, a not so short time ago. I am certain, that like me, at some point in your career you have worked in healthcare organizations where apathy ran rampant. Nursing disengagement, high turnover, and general unhappiness were pervasive. I remember the organizational air weighted with low energy and a daunting feeling of stagnation. The kind of atmosphere where innovation and actualization of visions cannot survive. The impact was not only noted in the nurses’ burnout, but also in the compromised quality of outcomes as well as the patient’s well-being. I watched many nursing leaders struggle with being unable to achieve the results envisioned, practice a separatist leadership style of “them versus us” and lead from their offices. There was little to no structure for RN participation or any constructive outlet to impact Nursing practice. It was then that I understood that in order to create the Nursing Practice we envisioned that was rooted in excellence we had to lead differently.
There have been many valuable lessons through the years in my career but a few I will share with you here. First lesson I learned was that who you are as leader and as a person will permeate the organization on every level. In other words, the values you live will undoubtedly show up in the culture of the organization you lead. Therefore, personal introspection is crucial to building a culture. If the goal is to be an organization based in integrity, respect, dignity, compassion, excellence and inclusion, than the leaders must embody those traits and model them to their team daily. They must absolutely be believable otherwise the incongruence between organizational said values and practiced ones breads distrust and fear which ultimately impacts outcomes, be they quality or patient experience related.
Second lesson I learned, is that consistency of outcomes in quality or patient experience cannot be accomplished without conquering apathy and disengagement. They are like a malignant tumor in a vital organ of an organization and will sabotage and undermine every quality based or patient experience initiative. However, in order to overcome them we must deal with the underlying core issues that cause them. I believe that apathy is the symptom of being disconnected. Disconnected from oneself and in the understanding that each of us holds the responsibility for the impact we hold on another. I am sure you will agree with me, that what we remember the most about the people we meet is how they treated us and how they made us feel. I invite you to reach in to your memory and recall when a person’s touch, words, kindness made all the difference in a difficult moment in your lives. Each of us has had that remarkable experience and I bet that even now when you think of that memory it makes you feel warm inside. Kindness and compassion are not arbitrary traits. Those that practice kindness and compassion, have made a conscious decision to do so and they reaffirm that decision with every interaction. Therefore, if I am committed to making a positive impact on those I encounter, then the impact I make will be a reflection of that belief system. Subsequently, the inverse is also true with regard to having a negative impact.
Furthermore, apathy is a the byproduct of feeling devalued as a person and as a professional. If one does not feel valued, cared for, respected, the human emotional response is to withdraw, disengage or become angry and frustrated. Apathy is a state of powerlessness. In a professional environment where anger and frustration are not acceptable behaviors, lack of interest and caring are the emotions that surface. What I realized was that in order for a leader to be successful in actualizing their vision, apathy and disengagement had to be dealt with head on by reconnecting each individual to the impact they make and institutionalizing a structure built on valuing.
The third lesson I took away was a realization that in order to actualize the vision I had for Nursing of being unified in achieving exemplary clinical practice, creating a culture based on valuing and building the world’s best healthcare organization, I had to be in the decision making position. I then embarked on that mission.
Through the trials and stepping stones of my leadership experience, I used and refined the lessons learned. Now a healthcare executive, what I have surmised is that since apathy is a state of powerlessness the best way to address it is through empowerment. I know that today, empowerment is a widely used word but very few leaders actually realize the sheer force it holds, the energy it generates and the impact it can have on the individual and thus the organization. When we speak of empowerment, it’s difficult to pinpoint a specific skill set that one can grab on to but if you have met a leader who embodied it, you absolutely remember how they made you feel. A feeling of being self-determined, excited about tomorrow, invincible in face of challenges, committed to overcoming and unified in the mission of a common purpose. Isn’t that exactly what we want to think and feel regardless of our given role in the organization? Now, imagine that you are able to infuse empowerment into building a foundation of your organization and the Nursing division. Imagine what is possible then! You may be thinking... wow Marina, that sounds great but how do we do that?
When I speak about empowerment it is not one action that will magically transform the nursing division or the organization. It is not one word you use or a speech you give or a process that is created. It is a systematic, persistent, consistent application of strategies that generate movement out of the status quo. I will share with you some of the Empowerment strategies that I use and find are important elements to building a solid nursing division foundation.
Create a vision/mission of exemplary practice. Aim beyond set, acceptable standards to a place where there is zero harm, where every patient’s outcome counts and every patient is a part of the family as soon as they walk through the door. Keep in mind that there is no said compromise of safety or quality in excellence ever!
Create a strategy that not only addresses processes redesign but the core culture issues that are present in the nursing division and the organization.
Build what I termed a “culture of regard”. A culture built on valuing everyone be they patient, team member or provider. A culture that actively practices integrity, respect, dignity, compassion, kindness, and inclusiveness in the decision making process.
Consistently model values, behavior and expectations that reinforce the culture of regard. The leaders in the organization must engage and walk the talk. In other words, you must embody the change. Doing so reinforces the leader’s authenticity while building trust as well as confidence in the mission.
Address the powerlessness by giving nursing a proactive, positive structure to impact nursing practice. Instituting shared governance will create that structure and gives nursing a voice and a vehicle for participation while fostering ownership and accountability. You can’t be apathetic or indifferent and involved at the same time.
Launch consistent organizational campaigns to generate energy, get staff excited about the vision. Teach them about the impact they have and the difference they do and can make. Doing so will undoubtably boost the moral and build a unified organizational pride that will absolutely trickle down to the patient and thus your scores.
If you think about the strategies above, they are not difficult to design and implement. Persistence and consistency are the absolute keys to raising the bar and shifting a culture. The power lies within their collective message. Their practice builds engagement, participation, trust, care and an unshakable unified stance. It creates the kind of an environment each of us wants to absolutely be a part of. An environment where we feel valued and know without a doubt, that we have made the difference!
I hope that what I have shared with you is thought provoking and has ignited a fire with in you as a leader of what is possible through empowerment. If you are a part of an organization that struggles with some of the same issues discussed and you want to know how to transform the status quo. Please feel free to reach out. I will be happy to help you and your team design tailor made strategies to actualize your organizational vision while creating a workforce that is unified, engaged and, most of all, happy. I know that together we can be the difference!
Thank you for your time. Please be safe out there.
