Posted by Genevieve Gipson RN MEd RNC (web site host) on September 07, 1999 at 00:29:50:
In Reply to: Looking for ideas for (cheap)positive reinforcement... posted by L.Johnson, RN,BSN on September 06, 1999 at 21:37:17:
L Johnson
You can send me your postal mailing address privately to [email protected], I will put some info in the mail to you. If at all possible, get someone to the National Leadership Training Program. You can find more info on another page of this site.
I have also been working with some folks up your way to do a Leadership Program in upper NY. Your NAs might be just the trigger that is needed. I would be pleased to talk also with your Adm or DON if you feel this would be helpful. Can also put you in touch with some NY NAs who have already been involved.
You may also want to get some of your NAs to a computer so they can be involved with the Chats - should be starting again soon. Tell your NAs we send our best gratitude for the many wonderful things they do for the people in their care.
Any adm today who thinks NAs are replacable will be surprised when he finds there is no one to take care of Mable or Sam. Staffing is reaching crisis point in many areas and adm can no longer ignor the realities of the need to keep good people. It was either May or June edition of Contemporary Long Term Care, I had an article on retention. I will send you a copy but if you have the Journal you may want to give it to your adm.
Good luck
: I have been the Inservice Director for about 6 months in a Central New York Nursing home (160 beds). I am disgusted with the complete lack of ANY positive reinforcement of the staff, employee recognition or staff appreciation. I have spent hours talking to our Administrator, trying out different ideas, and have gotten hardly anywhere. I have NO budget, so any cheap ideas would probably work best. Our staff is burned out (who isn't) and the new staff we hire leave after a few weeks. I feel for the C.N.A.'s because I know your jobs are so difficult, are the backbone of the facility and you do your jobs day in and day out with so much care. I don't understand why it is so hard for our Administration (DON included) to even start to verbally recognize the hard work of the aides. Am I just being new and idealistic? The Administration feels and has said at ameeting, (CRINGE, ouch!!!) that the nursing staff "is replaceable". I could just vomit. I know who has the hardest jobs in the building, but what can I do??