March 27, 2012 Class

The theme of today's class was motivating employees. Many different ideas and theories were discussed on how to motivate employees. As I do more reading and learning about the leadership role in nursing, I am amazed at all of the pieces to their job they must juggle. Motivating employees to perform their job correctly and exceeding patient expectations is a big part of being a manager. Different ideas were brought up in class about how to motivate employees and how we have been motivated. Food, money, parties, etc... were all brought up. Money is one area that is hard to keep up. If a raise is given for a job well done, then six months later the employees will want another raise. In this economy, raises are not always feasible. One simple way to motivate an employee is to just thank them for their service and recognize them. This recognition does not need to be done in a staff meeting or in public. It can be as simple as a thank you card from the manager. Sometimes a personal hand written card can carry more weight then a party for the entire floor. Motivation is an interesting topic. I feel most motivated when I am recognized for my job. If my service goes unnoticed, it is hard to want to excel again. If it feels like no one cares, then why do the job well? I will try to remember the concepts I've learned about motivating employees if/when I get into a management position.