In healthcare, patient satisfaction is always a top priority. But what about team member satisfaction? At its core, strong employee engagement leads to reduced turnover, increased revenue, and even higher patient engagement. Consider the following strategies for boosting staff morale: staff communication, celebrate success, and lead iin more ways than one.
How should you improve staff communication?
Some ASC leaders have shared that transparency in communication is one of the keys to excellent employee engagement. For example, an ASC leader in San Diego began to make a significant amount of information public to her staff, such as infection control rates, supply costs, and EBITDA. She also noted that patient satisfaction surveys were made available to employees every month, with special call-outs for team members who were explicitly praised by a patient.
Increasing communication with your ASC team can be a very successful strategy for increasing satisfaction. If you have a software platform where you communicate with patients, think about how you can leverage this same software for enhancing communication with your internal team. These communication platforms can add up to substantial time savings and increased satisfaction, both for patients and your employees.
What can I do to celebrate staff success?
To increase engagement, you need to prioritize appreciation and celebration for your staff. Larger team-building events, such as holiday parties or annual picnics, can offer significant opportunities for connecting with and showing appreciation for your ASC team. Consider organizing nurse-of-the-month programs to recognize those who have gone above and beyond. Small recognition like birthday cards, organized lunches, or gift cards can also boost staff morale.
"No job is too small, no title too big"
Servant leadership can go a long way in employee engagement. This means that no task is too small and no job title is too big. For example, think about how your employees would respond to seeing your director of nursing taking out the trash. Or to see the CEO vacuuming the lobby? While leaders inherently don’t have time to pitch in in these ways all the time, making sure that you are helping out in practical, logistical ways can go a long way to create an environment with a strong team spirit.
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