| This article relates to the Culture & Climate | | | | what troubled me most. Anyone involved in health |
| competency, commonly evaluated in employee | | | | care knows that patients, in this case nursing |
| satisfaction surveys. AlphaMeasure defines climate | | | | home residents, are much happier and healthier |
| as the effect an organization has on the | | | | and make better progress when their caregivers |
| employees, while culture refers more to the | | | | are satisfied in their positions and careers.I decided |
| acceptable behaviors, attitudes, and habits of the | | | | to conduct an employee survey, mainly for the |
| organization as a whole. Some relevant topics | | | | caregivers, to give them the opportunity to vent. |
| include employee values, attitudes, and morale | | | | I hadn't been able to find out much verbally, so I |
| throughout your organization. Knowing and | | | | hoped that the survey would give them the |
| understanding workplace culture and climate leads | | | | opportunity to reveal the sources of their |
| to a better understanding of what factors | | | | discontent. Then we could proceed to improve |
| influence employees. In relation, the level of | | | | the situation.Among other issues, the survey |
| service your customers receive is almost always | | | | results revealed that morale was low because the |
| influenced by the culture and climate of your | | | | staff felt stifled by regulations. The rigid rules |
| organization. Evaluating this competency can be | | | | needed to be examined and perhaps modified to |
| especially useful if your organization is experiencing | | | | empower caregivers to a greater degree. They |
| customer service related issues or problems | | | | were more satisfied when they felt able to |
| working together internally.This short story, | | | | improve the quality of life for their patients.Some |
| Creating a Culture of Empowerment, is part of | | | | other solutions we used to change the culture |
| AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales From the | | | | included:* Providing educational opportunities for |
| Corporate Frontlines. It tells about the effects of | | | | caregivers to update and expand their skills* |
| a negative culture on nursing home residents and | | | | Adopting a new conflict management policy - |
| what was done to turn things around and create | | | | developed with extensive caregiver feedback* |
| a better culture and climate in the | | | | Reevaluating our financial policies to free up funds |
| workplace..Anonymous SubmissionI transferred | | | | to hire more caregivers to ease the burden of |
| into my current position as manager of a small | | | | understaffed areas.As a result, we were able to |
| nursing home two years ago. After my first | | | | engage our caregivers in creating a workplace |
| meeting with the frontline caregivers---nursing | | | | culture that emphasizes the value of each human |
| staff, orderlies, etc., I was very concerned. The | | | | being and a climate of respect. The caregivers are |
| caregivers were clearly unhappy in their positions. | | | | satisfied, and the residents are happier and |
| They liked their work, they enjoyed caring for | | | | healthier.© 2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All |
| the residents, but there was some other factor | | | | Rights ReservedThis article may be reprinted, |
| at work here, creating a climate of uneasiness | | | | provided it is published in its entirety, includes the |
| and a culture of apprehension in this small and | | | | author bio information, and all links remain |
| close-knit group residence.I spoke with various | | | | active.Measure. Report. Improve your organization |
| residents. They were concerned as well. They felt | | | | with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.Josh |
| that they were receiving good care, but many | | | | Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, |
| mentioned an unhappy mood that continued day | | | | Inc.AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes |
| to day. It affected some more than others, and | | | | a powerful web based method for measuring |
| they expressed a wish for brighter, more upbeat | | | | employee satisfaction, determining employee |
| surroundings. A long time resident told me that | | | | engagement, and increasing employee |
| things used to be different, and she had felt much | | | | retention.Launch your employee surveys with |
| better, physically and mentally, when her nurses | | | | AlphaMeasure. |
| and aides were happier.That, in a nutshell, was | | | | |