This is done openly at our monthly department meeting with all the staff present.  It has become such a tradition that it's not the movie tickets that they are looking for but the recognition! 

We all know that a positive word or gesture goes a long way.  One of my supervisors even told me last winter that a group of staff members said they were doing their best to be part of the "Movie Ticket Group."

In another hospital, I had an end of the peak season celebration, complete with dinner brought in from a local restaurant.  I was able to obtain funds from my administration to purchase door prizes that included DVDs and portable CD players.  We then placed everyone's name in tumbler and drew out the winners.  We held the celebration in the hospital auditorium so no one missed it.

Here's something else I bet you never thought of...  When was the last time a member of your family received a personal letter from your boss thanking them for the time that they allowed you to spend away from them to work for the hospital, department or organization?  Just try that and see what would happen! 

I did it and received wonderful letters from the spouses and comments from the employees themselves.  

The point is that your staff needs to be recognized!  Their families need to know their time away from them is saving lives and valued by you and your organization!  Just let them know, from the heart! 

Till we Blog again,

-- From the Director's Chair, Scott

That's right, no matter if you run a department for a 1000-bed hospital or a 400-bed hospital with many departments, your management (leadership) team makes or breaks you. 

As you know everyone has a passion or a special skill. Some are blessed with logics. Some think from the heart, while others sit back and take it all in before they react.  Each has its disadvantage and advantage; however, if your leadership team is unbalanced your team is incomplete. 

Just think about life itself, everything needs to have balance. Here we are in spring.  As much as some may have disliked winter it was needed to give balance to the rest of the seasons. Winter destroys much of the ground cover that needs to be under control while allowing spring flowers like tulips and daffodils to bloom!  It actually creates a new beginning! 

It's all in your perspective. Your leadership team needs to have someone with logical thinking to make sure there is consistency to what everyone else on the team is doing.  You also need someone who thinks from the heart, or with compassion.  Because everyone has a different way to communicate interaction should be personalized.  We need people who speak from the heart.  We also need someone to sit back and take it all in. We also need someone to keep us on track! 

Take your time when choosing your leadership team.  Find the fit; get the talent, ambition and personalities to match.  Once you have done this you're half way there. 

I once interviewed a candidate for a supervisor who asked me "how long is the orientation period?"  My response: "Forever. We never stop learning." 

Even as directors, keep looking for opportunities for you and your supervisors to attend learning events to improve the leadership style and how to become a customer-focused leader. 

With the right supervisors a director can turn departments around, take on additional departments, decrease turn over rate and increase staff morale. 

Oh, and don't forget to give the credit to those that deserve it! 

I've got the best supervisors, how about you? 

Till we blog again,

-From the Directors Chair,  Scott   

School's almost out and you are ready for your reward.  Congratulations, you made it!

You have chosen one of the best fields out there too!  A recent US News and World Reports stated that with the current recession, the only two career fields that are untouched by today's economic downswing are health care and government.  

There are jobs in respiratory care, but that also comes with competition, so you need to put your best foot forward. Many of you have been networking during your clinical rotations and have landed your first job, which is great; however, did you get the best job you could? 

What I mean is compensation is surely a factor but how about the people you will be working with and for?  Will you be working for a great team, a leadership team with a vision, and a place for you to grow, and coworkers who will treat new grads with open arms and not "eat their young?" 

When you interview look for these things as you are looking for more than a job, you are looking for a good fit to your lifestyle!  If you have a chance meet and talk with the staff, look at the surroundings of the department-are they uplifting and positive?

Now, to help you out, here's one manager's suggestions on what we look for and what we have experienced that have turned us off to potential good hires.

For example, new grads, you're now in a profession, so dress for success. A shirt and tie, no jeans please!  Ladies, the smart manager is not looking for a fashion model so wear business attire.

Don't come to the interview empty handed. Have a resume even if it is short, and letters of recommendation are good-show us why we should hire you and not your classmate.  

Finally, take a moment and learn about the organization you are interviewing with. As managers we do get impressed when someone takes the time to learn about where they are applying. With the internet it only takes a moment to learn about the specialties of the facility and come with some questions. 

From the Director's Chair,

Scott

P.S. Managers, what would you tell a new grad before they interviewed with you, if you could?  How about some stories about interviews gone wrong?

Ever met anyone who's like a seagull, that when something is wrong they fly in, make a lot of noise and crap on everything? Sure! Everyone knows someone like this! 

How many times has a coworker come in to the department complaining about their workload or interaction they just had with a physician or nurse, get the group stirred up and then walk out?  This is certainly not fair to the rest of the staff that has now just had their emotions thrown for a loop and now need to finish their shift. 

Seagulls certainly need to control their emotions, yet I have found many are not aware of the impact they have on their surroundings! 

But what do we do?  How do you react to this as a manager or coworker? 

A proverb states, "A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger."  In other words, how we respond as coworkers or managers is very important. 

First, coworkers need to call Seagulls onto the carpet and let them know that this is not acceptable behavior.  Management must also address this immediately and not let this escalate into a morale breaker.

Many times there is an issue behind the issue. This, my friend, is an opportunity to gain respect with your staff.  Call the person into the office and point out the issue.  Remember to be quick to listen and slow to speak or become angry. Help the Seagull by finding out what is causing their negative attitude.  Is it financial difficulties, home issues, emotional issues or just burn out? 

Be careful as you do not want to violate someone's right to privacy. However, if it affects their work performance or the work performance of those around them, then it is your business to address the situation. 

Often just taking the time to listen will open the door to communication.  Don't get so caught up in meeting deadlines or crunching numbers that you forget the number one asset: your staff.  They need you...and you need them.  Build a bridge and you will have an employee for life. 

When I used to live in Florida, I found out that Seagulls aren't bad.  You just have to know how to live with them.

How can a leader create a department that thrives in today's environment?  You know what I mean... the philosophy of "do more with less," staffing issues or equipment issues.  It seems as if we are the "cream in the center of the Oreo cookie." 

As directors, managers and supervisors (Leadership Team) we have a chance to make a difference too.  Everyone spends eight hours sleeping (so get the best darn mattress they can), eight hours with their families (so enjoy ever second with them) and eight hours working.  So since we can't change their sleeping habits or family situations, let's talk about the working part.

It's the job of the leadership team to create a positive working environment for their staff members.  Consider your staffing matrix as if it were a bell curve, at the top you have the "great connected performers," at the bottom are the "I just don't want to be here" and in the middle are "those who can go either way." 

The object is to increase the top significantly and decrease the bottom, if not eliminate it! 

How you may ask?  Believe it or not, people like structure.  I am not talking about a bunch of rules and regulations, but policies and procedures that your human resources department probably already has in place. 

Carry the policies out consistency.  That is another important word.  Consistency and policy!  Remember respect is not a given but earned.  It is through the difficult times that you will earn respect; this is when the staff will look up to you and see that your leadership team is one truly worthy to be followed. 

Once the policies and procedures are followed, some will leave, others may need to be terminated yet you may even see many turn to the positive side and become your best employees you have ever had. 

Remember the bell curve we talked about?  The top will start to grow as the middle part becomes part of the top.  Respiratory care is a small group of tight folks who intermingle with each other.  You will notice that in time things will change and a positive outlook will happen.

Other areas that must take place to create a positive working environment are compensation.  Is your staff compensated appropriately?  Have your human resources department run a market analysis based on the local and regional market?  Each quarter your human resources department should receive updated salary guidelines-that should help.

But make sure that they are comparing apples to apples!  I once had a department that ran the intra aortic balloon pumps in which no other respiratory care departments in the area did.  Make sure you get credit for everything your department does.  Remember human resources are not a clinical department, therefore it does not know the difference between a peak flow and a ventilator setup!

Another area is equipment.  Does your staff have the equipment they need to do the work that is expected of them safely?  There is nothing more frustrating to a staff member than to be asked to set up a ventilator if they have to run around looking for one, put one together or have one that is always breaking down on them.  This should be a major concern that should be addressed immediately.

Finally, and most importantly staffing. Going home feeling like they have not finished the job or only did half of the job is very stressful and morale breaking.  Check your procedures and make sure you are getting credit for everything your staff does!  Work with your medical director and set guidelines to make sure every physician order is practical.  Set up protocols so orders have guidelines to prevent careless ordering and meaningless therapy.

Respiratory care can prove its weight in gold, not by the number of therapies they do but by how we decrease the patient's length of stay.  Yes, there was a time when we were a "widget" run department, in the DRG days.  Now getting patients off vents by progressive weaning and decreasing the length of stay can save the hospital countless dollars.  This my friend is how we justify additional staff.  Work with your QA and finance department on reporting ventilator days and length of stay.

There is so much more to having a fun department that the above is just a start.  We have yet to discuss rewards, positive feedback, and how your associates can never work another day in their life! 

‘Til we Blog again!

From the Director's Chair,

Scott