Nurse satisfaction in New York is important to us. We want to know that our nurses are satisfied in their position as well as their career. Nursing is a career with long shifts and many patients to care for. Keeping it together while holding a smile can be tough if not managed correctly. Correct management of staff has a direct effect on the patients as well. According to an article by nurse.org, happier nurses means healthier patients. We completely agree. Long Shifts, size of staff, and work environment all contribute to nurse satisfaction.
Staff Size
Staff size has a direct contribution to patient and nurse satisfaction. If patients feel there aren’t enough nurses to see them, then nurses are struggling to provide care for their patients. Patient care means the difference between life and death. Most nursing professionals agree that the availability of qualified registered nurses in hospitals directly affects patient satisfaction. A shortage of nurses per ward directly influences the well-being of nurses and their patients. Patients per ward also influence the impression of the hospital for both patients and nurses. Patients need to feel the hospital successfully provided care while nurses need to feel comfortable and safe.
Work Environment
Nurses need to have a comfortable and safe work environment to be as stress free as possible. Work environment includes everything from furniture in the building to nurse management. The furniture, lighting, temperature of the building, and how crowded the halls are all affect the satisfaction of nurses. Keeping these things in check allows nurse management to focus on building relationships with staff. Nurse management needs to influence their nurses as well. Building strong relationships between management and staff is very important. The stronger the environment the less likely that mistake will be made during long shifts.
Long Shifts
Nurse that work long shifts – shifts more than ten hours at a time – are more likely to burnout and have job dissatisfaction. Retaining staff is difficult if nurses are working more than thirteen hours. Nurses have high stress levels if they do not take care of themselves and that is nearly impossible if they are working that many hours.
What Can You Do to Improve Nurse Satisfaction?
Improving nurse satisfaction in New York will take time. Some steps can influence your satisfaction of your career today. You can find a mentor to help you receive guidance about your career path. You can also become a mentor yourself to help new nurses feel more positive about the profession. Nursing is very positive on its own, but you should get involved. Join a hospital committee by providing feedback on important issues. Just being present is not enough to make people consider change! If you feel dissatisfied with your current nursing position, consider a change. You may be interested in switching from hospital or clinical nursing to school nursing positions or travel nursing.
Everyone in the field has a genuine interest in making nurses content and happy in their career. What do you think we can do spark change? Let us know in the comments below.