NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
Walden University NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment – Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
The introduction for the Walden University NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.
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How to Write the Body for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
After the introduction, move into the main part of the NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Sample Answer for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
Work environment assessment, as highlighted in NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment assignment instructions, is an important activity that enables healthcare organizations and their stakeholders like nurses to determine various issues which impact the delivery of quality patient care. Incivility is one of the primary issues that such an assessment can assist to determine and address because it impacts on the performance of healthcare providers and their interactions with colleagues and patients (Broome et al., 2022). The purpose of this NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment paper is to analyze the results of the workplace environment assessment of my health organization based on the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory and review existing literature to identify a theory or concept from the articles and their application in the organization. In final part, the paper recommends evidence-based strategies to develop high-performance inter-professional teams.
Part 1: Work Environment Assessment
The overall civility score based on the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory for the workplace is 58 implying that it is unhealthy. For instance, the level of trust between and among formal leadership and all members of the workplace is lacking as the score was 1. Communication at all levels of the organization is not transparent, direct, and respectful. Again, employees asserted that they do not feel valued as as core assets in the organization. The employees assert that there is a low level of satisfaction, engagement, and morale (Clark Inventory, 2024). As such, the workplace assessment indicates that the setting is not healthy for employees. Two things that surprised me included the low level of communication in the organization as stated by the employees and employees being treated unfairly and disrespectfully. While I knew the workplace was not conducive, I did not expect the employees to give it such a low overall score. Before conducting the assessment, I believed the organization values the free expression of diverse and even opposing ideas and perspectives. The assessment confirmed this position as the employees gave it the highest score.
An unhealthy work environment encourages incivility which can negatively influence staff commitment to the organization and its performance. The results suggest that the organization is unhealthy and uncivil because of its low scores. The results suggest that employees in the organization lack motivation, satisfaction, and teamwork due to a deficiency in values and shared vision and mission of the organization (Hover et al., 2022). The assessment is categorical that employees do not work as a team, there is ineffective communication, and low degree of trust between them and the management. Consequently, many cannot join the organization, and staff turnover continues to increase. The results suggest that employees want change and transformation, beginning with appreciating their presence and contribution to the performance and productivity of the organization.
Part 2: Reviewing the Literature
Existing literature provides various strategies which guide nursing practice to reduce incivility and foster a culture of civility and respect in nursing to improve patient safety and quality of care. The concept selected from the articles is the DESC model as advanced by Clark (2018). The article asserts that the DESC model in combination with Cognitive Rehearsal (CR) can help nurses and organizational managers address incivility and foster a better culture. DESC is an acronym for a description of the specific situation, expression of concerns, stating the alternative, and determining the consequences. Again, Clark also emphasizes fostering a culture of civility and respect implying that when nurses deploy the DESC model, they can determine areas to improve through a systematic approach and increased engagement of all stakeholders (Clark, 2018). My organization scores highly on shared mission and vision based on trust, respect, and collegiality. However, core areas such as sense of belonging and being valuable, and effective communication have low scores. Using the DESC model and cognitive rehearsal, nurses can learn different approaches to patient situations and develop evidence-based alternatives to improve communication. Clark (2019) stresses harm reduction by improving communication and employee engagement.
The concepts presented in the articles relate to the outcomes of my work environment assessment as they demonstrate the organization can enhance its setting to improve performance and productivity. These concepts show that organizations should value their employees and develop effective communication channels to increase engagement, expression of ideas, and perspectives. Fostering civility and respect implores the organizational leaders and managers to treat employees fairly and respectfully, and allocate reasonable, manageable, and equal workplad distribution. For instance, the assessment shows that the facility offers competitive salaries, benefits, compensation and other rewards (Broome et al., 2022). Again, it has sufficient opportunities for career development and promotion. These positive attributes can only be sustainable when the management and leadership foster a culture of civility and respect for nurses. The articles describe the cognitive rehearsal concept as critical to effective and productive communication. Through the DESC model and cognitive rehearsal, employees and the management can develop a better collaborative culture of civility.
The organization can apply these concepts to enhance organizational health and develop robust work teams by incorporating the ideas into the work culture. For instance, using the DESC model, managers and leaders can conduct surveys to determine areas that require improvement like communication and ensuring that employees feel valued and respected. The organization can apply these concepts to increase collaboration and develop teams to expected outcomes (Lewis, 2023). The DESC-CR model can be used to recommend solutions like having change agents champion the overall organizational culture. The model will ensure that all internal stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities for effective care delivery, patient safety, and employee satisfaction.
Part 3: Evidence-Based Strategies to Develop High-Performance Inter-Professional Teams
The work environment assessment revealed a host of shortcomings in the workplace that should be addressed using evidence-based strategies. These shortcomings entail ineffective communication, lack of respect, and employees feeling not valued, and low trust levels between them and the management require evidence-based approaches as supported by the literature. The first strategy based on the evidence from the literature is fostering a culture of civility and respect (Clark, 2019). The management and leadership in the organization should consider the ethical, legal, and regulatory implications of incivility in the workplace. Imperatively, they should inculcate a culture of civility and respect, recognize efforts by employees, and develop a teamwork approach to the issue.
The second strategy is to implement models like the DESC-CR approaches that allow the management and employees, through their leaders, to identify deficient areas and respond using effective tools (Lewis, 2023). The management will identify areas leading to reduced morale and employees’ satisfaction, and improve them. They should use models like the root cause analysis (RCA) to determine the cause of low motivation and employee satisfaction (Allison et al., 2022). These strategies are critical to attaining an improved workplace for nurses and other healthcare providers.
Sustaining best practices based on the assessment is critical to improving the workplace environment. In this case, the organization should focus on building cohesive and effective teamwork as advanced by Broome et al. (2021). The organization should also develop and implement collaborative approaches to leadership. These strategies will enhance employee’s participation and perception of their value and contribution in the workplace. As advanced by Lee et al. (2022), these strategies will enable the organization to develop diversity, equity, and civility teams for inclusion and better workplace organizational culture.
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Conclusion
Assessing the workplace environment is important to understand issues affecting overall care delivery in healthcare settings. The assessment helps organizations determine the best approaches to issues like incivility and employee satisfaction. In this case, the evaluation of my workplace shows an unhealthy environment that implores leaders and managers to develop effective interventions based on best practices to improve the scores and encourage employees as well as motivate them for better care delivery and performance. Best practices like developing teamwork and effective communication will enhance the workplace environment in the organization.
NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment References
Allison D. B. & Peters H. (2022). Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for the improvement of healthcare
systems and patient safety (First). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003188162
Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert
clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Clark, C. M. (2019). Fostering a culture of civility and respect in nursing. Journal of Nursing
Regulation, 10(1), 44-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256 (19)30082-1
Clark, C. M. (2018). Combining cognitive rehearsal, simulation, and evidence-based scripting to
address incivility. Nurse Educator, 44(2):64-68. DOI:10.1097/NNE.0000000000000563
Hover, L. A., & Williams, G. B. (2022). New Nurses’ Experience with Lateral Violence and
Their Decision to Remain in Nursing. International Journal for Human Caring, 26(4), 199-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.20467/HumanCaring-D-20-00069
Lee, S., & Miller, K. (2022). Developing a Diversity, Equity, and Civility Council to Advance
Health Equity in Nursing Academia and Practice. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 46(3), E16-E23. DOI: 10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000528.
Lewis, C. (2023). The impact of inter-professional incivility on medical performance, service
, and patient care: a systematic review. Future Healthcare Journal, 10(1): 69-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2022-0092
Sample Answer 2 for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
The key to changing world is by listening to one another, giving each other chances to be heard can prevent chaos in the workplace and the work at large, the stress encounter in healthcare work environment could create lack of respectful way of communication. Poor communication and lack of knowledge are barrier to successful interprofessional collaboration (Broome & Marshall, 2021). our ability to cope with stress and control our emotion and talk to each other with respect hinges upon our ability to handle stress.
Description of Work Environment Assessment
My workplace scored 42 on the Clark Health Workplace Inventory, indicating that my workplace is very unhealthy. My workplace scored 4 points each under 2 statement categories “Individual and collective achievement are celebrated and publicized equitably” and “There is a comprehensible mentoring program for employees.” My workplace scored 1 point each on the statement “The workload is reasonable, manageable, and fairly distributed” and “Members of the organization use effective conflict resolution skills and address disagreements respectfully and responsibly.” My organization scored 2 points each in all other statement categories.
Members of my organization do not live by a shared vision and mission based on trust, respect, and collegiality. A shared mission and vision in an organization are critical because it helps to shed light on an organization’s direction. The actualization of shared vision hinges on its ability to form a sense of ownership among the team members in an organization. A well-embraced shared vision brings about a sense of identity that will run in the organization, and an organization that embraces a shared vision will grow.
My organization needs more trust between and among formal and other workforce members. When trust is infused in organization tasks get done with ease. Communication at all levels of the organization needs to be more transparent and direct. Effective communication is always essential to nurses (Wynn et al., 2023). Poor communication kills employee morale and engagement, resulting in poor productivity and satisfaction. Poor communication affects cooperation and collaboration among workers. In my organization, employees are not seen as assets. When a company sees employees as assets, it will nurture employee talents and help them grow. When an employee is valued, they tend to maximize their potential.
My organization needs teamwork, spirit, and collaboration. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a means of enhancing future healthcare (Broome & Marshall, 2021). There is some degree of a mentoring program for all the employees’, mentoring program is vital in the organization because it provides employees with necessary support and guidance. Mentorship promotes cohesion and collaboration in an organization. My organization does not lay emphasis on employee wellness and self-care. A good employee is a happy employee, and a happy employee results in high productivity.
My organization needs to gain the ability to continuously assess organizational culture, organization can take measures to improve organizational culture through the assessment of organizational culture. Members of my organization are not engaged in shared governance, do not engage in shared governance no joint decision-making effort or policy is being developed. At my organization workload could be more reasonable. Work needs to be fairly shared. Managing team workload is essential to prevent burnout and stress from work.
My organization has no room for free expression or opposing ideas. In my organization, there needs to be more competitive salaries and benefits. When an organization offers a competitive pay rate, it enhances overall job satisfaction and zero opportunities for promotion, although there is a certain degree of provision for career advancement. In my organization, employee turnover is very high, and my organization needs to attract or retain the best and the brightest employee. Many employees will not recommend my organization as an excellent workplace for their friends.
How Civil is My Workplace – Explanation
Civility means politeness, showing courtesy, the ability to control one’s emotions, and a respectful way of treating others. Civility at the workplace is a vital behavior an employee must exhibit in an organization; civilized behavior is interpersonal rules of engagement that dictate how people interact with each other civility is essential in the workplace. Civility is showing respect to another coworker at work. Civility at work brings about greater job satisfaction and a governable atmosphere. Civility has a relationship with improving morale and the spirit of teamwork.
When I look at my organization, there is a lack of civility and respect, resulting in a harmful environment. Lack of civility at work contributes to emotional exhaustion, sickness, burnout, and a high turnover. It causes chaos. Staffing levels and turnover negatively affect the quality of care in nursing homes (Cimarolli et al., 2022). The lack of civility at my organization serves as a basis for increased grievances. Nurses bully other nurses, causing depression and anxiety among employees. Bullying is a systematic sequence of behavior designed to erode, debase and humiliate others (Griffin & Clark, 2014). My organization cannot authoritatively say that employees are treating each other with respect, and my organization cannot say that they can effectively handle conflicts between employees. My organization cannot say they have an effective way of addressing lousy behavior among their staff.
Incivility I experienced at work
I experienced incivility when I got hired at a nursing home. Incivility among healthcare workers can create an unsafe working environment that can result in poor patient care (Clark et al., 2011). I have been bullied at work by other nurses. When I got hired, I did not know that some nurses were using the schedule/shift my organization was trying to give me as overtime. These old nurses try their best to frustrate me so that I can quit the job, and they can continue to enjoy their overtime, and the company continues to suffer high turnover and a bad image.
However, the new Director of Nursing, a transformational leader, addressed the issue and put the old nurses in order. Leadership is a position of influence, a process that takes place in a group setting, and it has to do with achieving goals that represent a shared vision (Riesch et al., 2023). In an attempt for these old nurses to sabotage my effort, they exhibited various deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to push me out of the facility. Their nefarious behavior included insulting remarks, dirty looks, and intentionally ignoring my input.
They do not want me to ask questions. However, they love querying me, telling our supervisor that they did not know my whereabouts when I just saw them a minute ago, talking to me using a condescending tone, talking about me behind me, trying to prove that they are competent at the expense of my image, accusing professional competence, displaying the silent accusation about professional competence, displaying the silent treatment. In this case, it is the old nurses that are being uncivil. Uncivil encounters in the patient environment can create uncertainty self- doubt, erode self-confidence, and affect the critical thinking ability of a nurse (Clark, 2019).
How the Incivility was Addressed
Incivility at work costs the organization plenty of resources, sometimes affecting its technical and logical problems. Bullying and incivility significantly affect employees psychologically (Alberts, 2022). At my organization, we recently had a good Director of Nursing, and she models good behavior. She did not make excuses, and she did not dismiss my concerns. She immediately agreed with my perception and believed what I said about other nurses’ attitudes. She discovered that the problem I pointed out could affect productivity and increase employee turnover. The director of Nursing held everyone accountable, and she addressed the issue. When I brought it to her notice, she called and talked to all the nurses involved without implicating me.
The director of nursing redefines acceptable conduct at work. Every time the director of nursing sees me coming to work, she always asks how I am doing and listens to my answer. The more she shows me she cares and is willing to listen to me, the more I share potential problems with her. My Director of Nursing utilizes her conflict resolution skills to address my problem. The workload at that facility was hectic, but because of the director of Nursing’s professionalism, I decide to hang on.
Conclusion
The nature of interaction among employees can influence how they discharge their responsibility and how healthcare is delivered. The code of ethic for Nurses describes vividly, the nurse’s obligation to promote safe, ethical environment and culture that encourage civility and affection, dealing with colleagues, coworkers, we encounter with civility, creating a feel free environment at work place, enables employee to speak up. Creating a civil working environment requires a shard organizational vision, values, and team norms. Developing and maintaining of high level of staff, group, and organizational civility, bring up the topic of civility at all quarters of the organization.
References
Alberts, H. L. (2022). Addressing bullying and incivility in clinical nursing education. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 17(4), 433–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2022.05.004Links to an external site.
Broome, M. E., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.
Cimarolli, V. R., Bryant, N. S., Falzarano, F., & Stone, R. (2022). Factors associated with nursing home direct care professionals’ turnover intent during the covid-19 pandemic. Geriatric Nursing, 48, 32–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.08.012Links to an external site.
Clark, C. M. (2019). Combining cognitive rehearsal, simulation, and evidence-based scripting to address incivility. Nurse Educator, 44(2), 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000000563Links to an external site.
Clark, C. M., Olender, L., Cardoni, C., & Kenski, D. (2011). Fostering civility in nursing education and practice. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(7/8), 324–330. https://doi.org/10.1097/nna.0b013e31822509c4Links to an external site.
Griffin, M., & Clark, C. M. (2014). Revisiting cognitive rehearsal as an intervention against incivility and lateral violence in nursing: 10 years later. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(12), 535–542. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20141122-02Links to an external site.
Riesch, S. K., Chiappa, J., Floyd, N., & Ponce, M. (2023). The chief nursing officer shared leadership model. Nurse Leader, 21(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.09.006Links to an external site.
Wynn, S. T., Ratcliffe, C. J., & Hardin, L. (2023). Ready, set, woo: Refining nursing students’ communication skills. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2023.03.004Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
Sample Response for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
This is an informative and well-written post on the Workplace Assessment results at your particular workplace. The example you’ve shared is a common and unfortunate scenario in today’s organizational landscape. As corporations seek creative and innovative methods for reducing costs while maximumizing access to care, the critical aspect of demonstrating empathy and professionalism in work environments is often ignored. Many times, staff are expectated to demonstrate high performance, without having access to key pieces of information to effectively discharge their responsibilities to meet the defined goals. Yet the solution is so readily apparent and effective: proper communication.
As you’ve stated so well here, demonstrating civility and respect in the workplace matters. Respect for everyone involved, including staff, patients and the community served, is demonstrated by a decision to ensure solid communication plan is in effect, and followed by everyone involved. And, when the staff feel that they have been given an opportunity to fully understand the situation and expectations of performance, more positive outcomes can result. Having innovative ideas that include perspectives from staff is considered a best practice for respectful collaboration and safe patient care work environments.
Thank you for this informative response!
Sample Answer for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
A healthy working environment is an essential factor for every employee. Based on my experience after working in various organizations in different countries, the situation of the working environment affects how employees and the organization perform. I have evaluated the current facility I am affiliated with using the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory Clark, 2015). The score is 67, meaning the facility has a mildly healthy working environment. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (2023) emphasized that a healthy working environment allows nurses to provide their patients with the highest standards of care while being fulfilled at work. Skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision-making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership are the standards expected in establishing a healthy working environment.
To be fair, there are good things I have observed, like teamwork, employee recognition, and staff support. However, there are also some factors that I believe need to be addressed. The first thing is the less competitive salary. Apart from living in a low-paying state for nurses, the facility has a lower pay scale than its competitors around the area. As a result, many nurses decided to take a travel contract or move to different facilities that offer better compensation. The resolution for this concern is an ongoing negotiation for a pay rise. I hope this will come to fruition. Regardless of the financial gains corporations generate from the expensive healthcare of the country, nurses and other healthcare workers receive low wages and undesirable benefits (McDermott & Goger, 2022).
Another issue is the lack of employee wellness and self-care programs. It would be beneficial if the organization could devise a program that helps employees maintain wellness and self-care support like psychological counseling, group physical activities program, etc. Last month, the nursing leaders gathered suggestions from the nursing staff on what programs they could create to improve the nursing staff experience. I put in recommendations for wellness and health programs for employees, like gym membership discounts, free classes for yoga, martial arts, etc., fun run events, and psychological evaluation. Bal (2023) highlighted that nurses practicing self-care can provide the best possible treatment to their patients. Self-care among nurses must ensure that physical, psychological, and social welfare are promoted. Davis (2023) reported that organizations that support wellness tend to have nurses with better physical and mental health and participate more in healthy lifestyle practices than those who do not have the same level of support.
References:
American Association of Critical Care Nurses. (2023). Healthy Work Environments. AACN. https://www.aacn.org/nursing-excellence/healthy-work-environmentsLinks to an external site.
Bal, D. (2023, March 23). Self-Care For Nurses | NurseJournal.org. NurseJournal. https://nursejournal.org/resources/self-care-for-nurses/Links to an external site.
Clark, C. M. (2015). Conversations to inspire and promote a more civil workplace. American Nurse Today, 10Links to an external site.Links to an external site.(11), 18–23. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/wp-Links to an external site. content/uploads/2015/11/ant11-CE-Civility-1023.pdfLinks to an external site.
Davis, C. (2023, January 9). The Key to Nurses’ Well-Being? Go “All in” on Wellness, Expert Says – Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare. Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare. https://www.psqh.com/news/the-key-to-nurses-well-being-go-all-in-on-wellness-expert-says/Links to an external site.
McDermott, J., & Goger, A. (2022, March 9). The health care workforce needs higher wages and better opportunities. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-heath-care-workforce-needs-higher-wages-and-better-opportunities/Links to an external site.
Sample Answer for NURS 6053 Module 4: Workplace Environment Assessment
A critical part of nursing leadership is promoting a healthy work environment. An assessment of the workplace based on tools like the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory allows healthcare leaders to implement measures to enhance employee performance and productivity. Nurse managers and organizational leaders should provide an environment where nurses and other healthcare workers feel comfortable and motivated to air their opinions and address concerns arising from their work activities (Peng, 2023). A healthy work environment does not imply the absence of real or perceived threats to health but should foster the physical, mental, and social wellness of the staff (Ota et al., 2022). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of the work environment assessment, review the literature on these areas or concepts, and suggest strategies to enhance highly efficient inter-professional teams.
Summary of Results – Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory | The healthy workplace inventory offers a means to understand the status of the work environment and what ails it by focusing on a host of aspects or issues. The inventory lists certain criteria like having a shared vision, sufficient communication, trust among staff and administration, engagement of employees, and addressing emerging concerns. The scores range from 20% to 100%. A score greater than 90% implies the work environment is very healthy while a less than 50% score suggests it is a very unhealthy or toxic work culture. The scores show moderately, mildly, or barely healthy work environments. The score based on the inventory for our organization was 60%, meaning it is a mildly healthy work environment, with just a point above barely healthy. The result emanates from the current situation where nurses and other employees do not feel the organization endures its vision. Their concerns are not addressed as they feel that the planned expansion to a new state-of-the-art facility did not happen. Many are contemplating seeking new employment places and opportunities due to a decline in the team culture. The environment fails to obtain better scores based on the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory due to toxic leadership that does not understand medical aesthetics as a specialty. |
Identify two things that surprised you about the results. Also, identify one idea that you believed before conducting the Assessment that was confirmed. | Two things that surprised me were the score of 60% implying mildly healthy, and the decline in the vision that nurses and other staff had for the organization. I was surprised that it was even mildly healthy. I was surprised because six months before the assessment, the result would have been a very healthy workplace. One change in the leadership by an individual could lead to this significant shift in the organization’s culture. I reckoned that if the assessment happened again after a week, the workplace environment would get a score of barely healthy. A healthy workplace environment is essential and allows employees to focus on organizational goals and the attainment of its vision. An idea that I believed before conducting the assessment which was confirmed is that the workplace environment was already toxic due to the leadership change and actions that the leader was taking without consulting and engaging employees. The unbiased review based on the inventory was categorical that the workplace environment was not conducive for nurses and other healthcare providers in the facility. |
What do the results of the Assessment suggest about the health and civility of your workplace? | The results of the assessment are categorical that leadership change has had a significant negative effect on the work culture. The assessment shows that the health and civility of the workplace are missing and require immediate interventions to bring change and inspire nurses. Civility is the foundation for patient safety, a healthy work environment, healthy staff, and increased productivity and performance. Nurse leaders and nurses should demonstrate civilized conduct, courtesy, politeness, and a polite act or expression of views and other aspects that impact the workplace environment. Civility impacts morale and job satisfaction among employees, including nurses. These results show that a healthy workplace can enhance collaboration, and effective communication, and lead to better patient outcomes when embedded in the organizational culture. In their article, Hossny et al. (2020) show that civility influences effective collaboration between nurses and physicians to attain better patient outcomes. Ota et al. (2021) emphasize the role of nurse leadership in fostering and supporting civility in the workplace. The study suggests ways and strategies for nurses to pragmatically promote and maintain civility in healthcare settings. The implication is that the results of the assessment indicate the nurse leader has failed to promote civility in the facility because of single-handedly making decisions without engaging nurses and understanding the nature of the work environment. |
Briefly describe the theory or concept presented in the article(s) you selected. Explain how the theory or concept presented in the article(s) relates to the results of your Work Environment Assessment. | The selected article by Clark (2019) explores the concepts of civility and respect in nursing. Clark asserts that disrespect and uncivil workplace environment breeds harm, especially for patient safety. The article is categorical that disrespectful and uncivil behaviors in healthcare settings can lead to detrimental effects on nurses, teams, organizations, and patient safety, especially in life-threatening mistakes and even preventable complications. The article shows that incivility has significant effects on the patient care environment. The concept of incivility is essential as it implies that organizational leaders and nurses should develop evidence-based strategies to enhance and foster a culture of civility and respect. Clark (2019) observes that incivility and disrespect are associated with poor patient outcomes, dissatisfaction among employees, and increased turnover rates, as currently happening in our facility.
The concept presented in this article relates to the outcomes of the Work Environment Assessment as it demonstrates that having a healthy work environment reduces harm and fosters civility and respect among employees and management. The article shows that when a work environment is toxic, civility cannot thrive as employees and the management do not collaborate or work cooperatively to fix a problem or resolve emerging conflicts. The current work environment is uncivil and disrespects nurses and other providers (Clark et al., 2022). Therefore, the article emphasizes that nurse leadership should foster respect and engage nurses to attain increased job satisfaction, develop a positive work environment, and enhance collaboration among all stakeholders. |
Explain how your organization could apply the theory highlighted in your selected article(s) to improve organizational health and/or create stronger work teams. Be specific and provide examples. | The organization can use the concepts of civility and respect for nurses to improve the current toxic environment where nurses perceive that the leadership is not responsive to their concerns. The organization should implement the evidence-based strategies as proposed by the article to improve civility and respect for nurses. The article recommends an eight-step process that allows the organization to improve civility and satisfaction among nurses. For instance, the article suggests that the first step is to raise awareness and build leadership support. The leadership should raise awareness of the positive effects of civility and educate key stakeholders about the negative impacts of incivility. The next step is assembling and empowering civility teams and ensuring they have broad-based support or recognition within the workplace. These strategies among others are essential to the organization as it can leverage them to improve employees’ welfare and patient safety. For example, the new nurse leader should engage nurses and seek their views on the proposed facility and its effects on productivity and performance. Civility and respect are essential, and the nurse leader should ensure nurses give their views and vision as depicted a few months ago before her arrival (Clark et al., 2022). She needs to understand aesthetic care as a specialty that is broad-based and not narrow since it allows individuals to have access to life-changing treatment based on their desired interventions. |
General Notes/Comments | Work environment assessment is a critical aspect of understanding the positive aspects of an organizational culture. The assessment of our facility shows a mildly healthy environment that requires significant improvement to enhance employee motivation and attainment of organizational goals. As posited by research evidence through the articles, civility is essential and enhances organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Therefore, the facility should implement the suggested evidence-based strategies to attain civility and foster respect leading to better patient outcomes and employee satisfaction. |
References
Clark, C. M. (2019). Fostering a culture of civility and respect in nursing. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 10(1): 44-52.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(19)30082-1
Clark, C. M., Gorton, K. L., & Bentley, A. L. (2022). Civility: A concept analysis revisited. Nursing Outlook, 70(2): 259-270.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.11.001
Hossny, E. K., & Sabra, H. E. (2021). Effect of Nurses’ perception of workplace civility climate on nurse-physician collaboration. Nursing Open, 8(2): 620-627. DOI: 10.1002/nop2.666
Ota, M., Lam, L., Gilbert, J., & Hills, D. (2022). Nurse leadership in promoting and supporting civility in healthcare settings:
A scoping review. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(8): 4221-4233. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.13883 Peng, X. (2023). Advancing Workplace Civility: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis of Definitions, measurements, and associated Factors. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1277188. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1277188
Work Place Assessment
Assessing the civility of my current work environment and any other work environment is one of the things I look at to determine the total wellbeing of the organization’s employees. Being that civility is primarily subjective, having a tool to assess the level of civility is vital. Professional civility promotes a favorable and welcoming environment, raising employee satisfaction and productivity. Respectful communication encourages cooperation and innovation, which improves problem-solving and decision-making. Additionally, it improves employees’ wellbeing and lessens tension and disagreements. It promotes inclusiveness and variety, allowing people to express their viewpoints and add to a positive culture. However, focusing less on professionalism at work might dim constructive criticism and be a stumbling block to creativity. It can also be employed to keep things as they are while stifling the voices of marginalized people. For a productive workplace, it is essential to balance cordiality and open communication.
Clark Work Place Assessment
According to the Clark Work Place Inventory, my organization scored 81, which implies a moderately healthy work environment. In the tool, the assessment result scored high on questions related to teamwork among staff members, comprehensive mentorship programs, and so on. Conversely, my organization scored average or low on statements related to management’s relationship with staff members and inclusiveness in decision-making. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has set six principles for creating and maintaining healthy work environments: competent decision-making, honest cooperation, skillful communication, enough staffing, and leadership that embodies authenticity (Dugan et al., 2015). Two things that surprised me about the result are the high score I totaled after the assessment and the comprehensiveness of the assessment tool. Based on the complaints and grapevine drama at the breakroom, I was expecting a score in the high sixties to mid-seventies. Nevertheless, looking at things from an unbiased Lense may seem better. The second surprise is that the tool touched on areas many may have yet to consider, such as employees’ well-ness and the promotion of opposing ideas.
Civility at my Work Place
A few instances at my workplace made me question the complexities of human relations in a professional setting. During the covid pandemic, some of the top management staff at the facility worked from home, and the facility was experiencing a staff exodus. The frustration of low staffing was becoming unbearable; everyone generally had a basic understanding of the reality of the pandemic. However, the staff nurses blamed the management for not doing enough, and the management was pushing back with complaints that they do not sleep at night due to numerous calls from the hospital and the impact on their wellbeing. A theory that I can relate to that is the Psychology of work theory. According to the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT), whether one’s self-determination needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) are satisfied depends on whether one has decent work or employment that satisfies the minimal requirements to promote adequate work lives. Therefore, a large sample of working people was used in the current study to evaluate workplace relational civility (WRC) as a possible modulator of decent work and self-determination demands. Higher levels of respectable employment indicated better satisfaction with the demand for self-determination, consistent with earlier research (Smith et al., 2023).
Proposed solutions
Jobs are interpersonal connections, including workplace environments, the limits of which are established by both official and informal agreements. These links between individuals and organizations cover a range of interpersonal connections that people make during daily interactions with coworkers. These interactions might be short-lived, prolonged, superficial, profound, satisfying, or upsetting (Leiter, 2021). In that regard, my proposal is based on a two-part solution. The first solution is proper/further training of supervisory and management staff to handle civility in the workplace. The second is having more than one channel of communication in civil matters at the workplace. Regular seminars and programs are required for head nurses to recognize the significance of their professional values toward nursing and to stimulate the development of their civility competencies, behaviors, and communication (Ahmed, 2022).
Conclusion
Human behavior is a complex topic that requires more than one solution approach to determine the best method of civility. My organization scored 81% on the Clark assessment tool. This was a surprise because it opened my eyes to other factors that determine a healthy work environment that is mostly taken for granted. My key proposals are management and staff education and varying channels of communication that meet a culturally diverse work atmosphere at my job.
References
Duggan, K., Aisaka, K., Tabak, R. G., Smith, C., Erwin, P., & Brownson, R. C. (2015). Implementing administrative evidence-based practices: Lessons from the field in six local health departments across the United States. BMC Health Services Research. doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0891-3. Retrieved from https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-015-0891-3Links to an external site..
Leiter, M. P. (2021). Assessment of workplace social encounters: Social profiles, burnout, and engagement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3533.
Ahmed, E. A. A. (2022). Effect of head nurse’s workplace civility educational program on nurses professional values and awareness of legal and ethical issues. International Egyptian Journal of Nursing Sciences and Research, 2(2), 336-352.
Smith, C. M., Allan, B. A., & Blustein, D. L. (2023). Decent Work and Self Determination Needs: Exploring Relational Workplace Civility as a Moderator. Journal of Career Assessment, 10690727231186768.
NURS 6053 WEEK 11 Assignment Change Implementation and Management Plan
Introduction and Purpose of the Presentation
- Nurses offer high quality and compassionate patient care
- Nurses are integral in quality care delivery
- An Organizational Culture that encourages civility helps them attain these goals
- Purpose & Objectives of the Presentation
Executive Summary of the Issue: Lateral Violence
- Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory score of 77%
- Means organization is mildly healthy and there is need for improvement
- Areas include effective communication, participation of employees and better allocation of work
- Safety of the employees due to lateral violence against nurses, particularly in emergency room and department
- Bullying of newly hired nurses demonstrate poor levels of civility
Proposed Change and Justification
- Need for a Better Organizational Culture
- Focus on Diversity
- Patient and Provider Safety
- Effective Communication
- Improved participation of Staff through expression of ideas
Justification
- Direct correlation to staff retention, retention and work Performance
- Increased access to patient care
- Increased levels of civility
- Quality care continuity
Type and Scope of Proposed Change
Type
- Policy Changes
- Present policy is not based on evidence
- New Policy will be founded on;
- Effective communication
- Diversity
- Teamwork approach
- Regular monitoring for efficacy
- Development of Best Practices and Implementation
Scope
- The Policy will focus on the Nursing Department
- Emergency Room & Department
- Future Adoption for the Entire Organization
Stakeholders and Change Management Team and Roles
Stakeholders
- Nurses and physicians as well as other providers and professionals
- Patients
- Unit manager/ Leader
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Communication and public Relations Manager
Change management Team & Roles
- Nurse Leaders/ Managers
- Nursing Staff
- Hospital Administration
- Financial Officer
- PR and Ethics Manager
Communication Plan and Risk Mitigation
Communication Plan
- Raising awareness about the progress of the plan
- Targeted audience
- Use of Organizational Resources to increase awareness
- Input/ feedback from stakeholder
Risk Mitigation
- Resistance to Change
- Limited Resources/ Funding
- Risk management & Impact Analysis
- Assessment of all possible risks
Conclusion
- Change initiatives can enhance overall care delivery in healthcare and nursing setting
- Incivility leads to poor patient outcomes in nursing settings as demonstrated in this presentation.
- The establishment of an effective and evidence-based practice (EBP) organizational culture will be essential in addressing bullying and other forms of lateral violence in the organization
- The presentation shows the benefits of an effective culture and how the management team will address possible risks to its implementation
References
American Nurses Association (ANA) (2022). Violence, Incivility, & Bullying. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/violence-incivility-bullying/
Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Clark, C. M. (2019). Combining cognitive rehearsal, simulation, and evidence-based scripting to address incivility. Nurse Educator, 44(2), 64-68. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000563.
Edmonson, C., & Zelonka, C. (2019). Our own worst enemies: The nurse bullying epidemic. Nursing administration quarterly, 43(3), 274. doi: 10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000353
Hossny, E. K. & Sabra, H. E. (2020). Effects of Nurses’ perception to workplace civility climate on nurse-physician collaboration. Nursing Open, 8(2), 620-627. doi: 10.1002/nop2.666
Jongen, C., McCalman, J., & Bainbridge, R. (2018). Health workforce cultural competency interventions: a systematic scoping review. BMC health services research, 18(1), 1-15. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-018-0734-5.
Li, S. A., Jeffs, L., Barwick, M., & Stevens, B. (2018). Organizational contextual features that influence the implementation of evidence-based practices across healthcare settings: a systematic integrative review. Systematic reviews, 7(1),1-19. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-018-0734-5.
Mannion, R., & Davies, H. (2018). Understanding organizational culture for healthcare quality improvement. Bmj, 363. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4907