A positive workplace culture is essential in today’s professional landscape. Strong working relationships between physicians and staff result in a more positive patient experience.
Development of your ASCs culture begins in your onboarding process, and ensuring that your new hires understand the values and goals of your organization can pay off in the form of high patient satisfaction scores and quality care. Below are five ways to create or improve your ASC culture.
I. Be Creative with Onboarding
One of the earliest ways to establish your culture is through your onboarding process. As this introduction to your center is the basis for a new teammate’s first impression, ensure that they are warmly welcomed and brought into a positive working environment.
Ultimate Medical Academy describes some ways to incorporate your new hires into an engaging onboarding process below:
“Creating a dynamic and engaging orientation can help new employees acclimate to their surroundings and bond with co-workers right away,” the site says. “Some human resources professionals recommend giving new hires small gifts or treats, walking them around personally and introducing them to everyone, or sending them a video greeting.”
II. Lead by Example
A common approach to creating and maintaining workplace culture in any setting is through leadership. When leaders exemplify the mission and values of the center, expectations around attitudes and interactions are clearly defined. Careerstaff.com describes the impact of leaders and their attitudes toward work.
“Managers provide the first step of setting expectations for employees’ perceptions of the workplace,” writes the authors of a clinical study on nurse retention published in Gerontologist. “Although facility managers made a difference in how they treat employees, the cultural environment they create goes beyond their style of relationship building and persists even when they are not visibly present.”
III. Revisit Your Culture
Workplace culture is a constantly evolving concept. As times change, take a moment to assess your existing workplace culture. Are your employees properly informed of the expectations and responsibilities required of them? Are there ways to update and improve upon your existing workplace culture?
Careerstaff.com notes that a disconnect between administrators and staff can quickly form, especially in healthcare settings.
“The disconnect between administrative leadership and clinical workers can be stark in some organizations, with decisions being made by the former and then followed by the latter — sometimes begrudgingly, especially when they’re not involved in the decision-making process.”
If a solidified line of communication is not established, these negative sentiments can become more viable over time. As a result, staff frustrations can quickly boil over and affect patient experiences and satisfaction.
How can ASC leadership ensure that staff feel heard and understood? Monthly meetings between leadership and staff leaders, such as nursing managers, provide a strong connection and increased input in decision-making processes. Staff representatives also give leaders an improved glimpse into what staff needs to perform their duties at a high level.
IV. Acknowledge High-Performing Teammates
Recognizing individuals who excel in their roles is a simple way to brighten up the mood around your center. These programs can accompany some sort of reward, encouraging positive interactions with patients, improving teamwork, quality, and more.
Over time, these actions that brought about recognition become the standard, boosting the requirements for recognition.
Along with a fun sense of competition, these recognitions also create a sense of collaboration and feeling valued.
“When team members feel empowered by others, everyone wants to reach out and return the favor,” Nurse.io adds. “Feeling valued instills a sense of purpose in healthcare workers and encourages them to put their best foot forward.
A positive workplace culture in healthcare is possible when implementing actionable tips like these. As a result, healthcare workers are happy, organizations can thrive, and patients are cared for well.”
V. Provide Opportunities for Career Advancement
Every employee is looking for their next career opportunity. A positive culture encourages employees to seek higher positions within your center. If your center has a corporate partner, such as SCA Health, you may have access to professional development courses for your staff.
For example, SCA Health offers multiple programs for our nurse teammates, such as our Periop 101 program and our Preop/PACU Nurse Development Program (PPND).
Staff who can grow internally will be more likely to stick with your ASC, allowing them to exercise their new skills for the benefit of your patients.
Resources:
10 Ways to Build a Great Culture in Your Healthcare Organization: https://www.ultimatemedical.edu/blog/10-ways-to-build-a-great-culture-in-your-healthcare-organization/
CareerStaff.com: https://www.careerstaff.com/healthcare-staffing-blog/workforce-solutions/strategies-for-a-positive-corporate-culture-in-healthcare/
Nurse.io: https://nurseio.com/positive-workplace-culture-in-healthcare/
SCA Health: https://insights.sca.health/insight/article/preop-pacu-nurse-development-program
SCA Health: https://insights.sca.health/insight/article/advancing-sca-nurses
