Cultivating healthful environments
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Cultivating healthful environments
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Cultivating Healthful Environments
Melissa Seiler CRRN, BSN
Chamberlain University School of Nursing
Nursing 500
Cultivating Healthful Environments
Cultivating a healthful work environment starts with civility. Cultures of civility are grounded in respectful relationships, value of diversity, open and honest communication, equitable and fair treatment of others, mutual trust, and collaboration. Incivility is defined as showing discourteous behaviors or treatment to others. In the workplace, the stress of a hostile or volatile manager takes a toll on the employees. As well, a coworker, who constantly bullies other employees, can disrupt workflow and outcomes in a healthcare setting. Unfortunately, nurses, who are on the receiving end of bullying, may end up leaving the nursing profession all together. The disruption of workflow can negatively affect the delivery of nursing care, and in turn, this will negatively affect patient outcome and satisfaction. A nursing unit that does not function well can then affect how other departments function with that unit. For example, if the nursing unit does not have patients ready for therapy on time due to nurses arguing over assignments, therapy efficiency will be negatively impacted.
This paper focuses on: Issues of Incivility, Importance to Nursing, Storytelling, Creating a Healthful Environment, and Practice Application. As a role model of professional practice and a leader, master's- prepared advanced practice nurses must have awareness about incivility and recognize and address toxic behaviors (McNamara, 2012).
Issues of Incivility
Poor communication and unprofessional relationships among nurses may have a direct impact on safety and outcomes for patients in the healthcare setting. Because of the potential adverse effects on patient safety, the Joint Commission issued a sentinel alert and in 2010 implemented new standards that require health care organizations to have mechanisms in place to deal with uncivil and disrespectful behavior. When nurses fail to communicate concerning specific patient care concerns, medications and treatment could be missed or provided incorrectly, thus causing potential harm to the patient by lack of appropriate treatment.
The ANA defines bullying as “repeated, unwanted, harmful actions intended to humiliate, offend, and cause distress in the recipient.” In 2015, the ANA had a special group meet to develop the following guidelines:
· The nursing profession will not tolerate violence of any kind from any source;
· Nurses and employers must collaborate to create a culture of respect;
· The adoption of evidence-based strategies that prevent and mitigate incivility, bullying, and workplace violence; and promote health, safety, and wellness and optimal outcomes in health care;
· The strategies employed are listed and categorized by primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention;
· The statement...
