Project Description
This will be a collaborative project consisting of six medical surgical units located in the Cancer Hospital with a focus on senior nurses. There will be a three-pronged approach to enhancing joy on these designated units. Initially, the leaders and 32 senior staff members that comprise these units will attend the educational session ‘Fresh Dose of Joy to Build Resilience’ that will establish baseline knowledge, thus aiding in the development of a resiliency plan. This group will meet quarterly for 12 months to ensure that participants are staying motivated and adhering to their resilience action plan. The second prong will consist of the nurse manager effectively engaging with senior nurses to discuss, listen, and learn what obstacles these nurses face on a daily basis that inhibits work satisfaction. The nurse manager will be given key points on how to effectively conduct these staff interviews by referring to Appendix A in the IHI Institute for Healthcare Improvement, “IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work”. The final prong includes the nurse manager and senior staff identifying the difficulties that other job roles face. A selection grid that displays potential options for shadowing experiences in other department roles will be created. Shadowing in other departments for two four-hour blocks annually will enhance a better understanding of the challenges these departments also experience daily.
Bio
Colleen Counsell, MSN, RN is an experienced nurse manager at UF Health Shands in Gainesville, FL. She has experience with implementing and evaluating projects with a focus on creativity and innovation. She is committed to supporting the enhancement of joy to senior nurses and management who could otherwise suffer from compassion fatigue and burnout.
Veronica Mullen, Unit Assistant, aided in the collaboration of “Restoring Joy in the Workplace for Senior Nurses” mini-grant received by UF Health Shands Hospital. She is determined to enhance joy for staff and management who are especially susceptible to burnout after many years of work. The positive energy that a nurse brings to work has a profound effect on self, co-workers, and his/her patients. She is committed to creating a positive work environment for these nurses and the unit as a whole.