director, just bring it straight to me."
The director was understandably upset, but didn't overreact. She
simply moved the discussion forward and the entire staff had an open
and productive conversation, which revealed the issue was due to
high turnover in this position, and the staff wasn't sure they could
trust the new director. The administrator was simply trying to create
some stability for her staff to prevent them from jumping ship. In the
end, open communication was the first step toward fixing a toxic,
high-turnover facility.
Nurture ongoing growth
There are only so many available positions to fill, but that
doesn't mean you can't provide additional opportunities for motivated
people. If you have a top-performing staff nurse who shows tremen-
dous management potential, you shouldn't allow her to grow bored
with her job or she'll leave when a better opportunity becomes avail-
able. Instead, create opportunities for this staffer to learn the manage-
ment side of things. Let that nurse serve as the team lead for the week
when your director of nursing is out of town. Then, when that direc-
tor retires, you'll have the perfect person to transition and promote.
At the same time, recognize that some staff have no desire to move
into a management role. If you have an OR nurse who wants to come
in, work her 12-hour shifts and go home to her family, don't push
extra responsibility onto her plate. Every facility has a variety of per-
sonality types and it's your job to get the most out of each and help
them achieve the success they want to attain.
Keep things fresh
Reach out to local nursing schools or the nursing department of
a local college and ask to speak to the graduating RNs about a career
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