Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement strategies to improve employee and student satisfaction at a Midwest, single purpose College of Nursing.
Methods: Creating a healthy work environment is essential to a successful academic program. The college believes that positive relationships with colleagues and students are vital to create and maintain a healthy work environment. However, in February, 2008 employee satisfaction scores dropped from 95% to 88%. Student satisfaction was also below the expected level for the college: 77% in the Fall of 2008 and 75% in Fall of 2007. A team of faculty and staff were challenged to develop strategies to improve these satisfaction scores. Team members attended Relationship-Based Care and Reigniting the Spirit of Caring workshops and developed the Relationship-Based Learning Community (RBLC) model for the college. Subsequent interventions included retreats, monthly programs and activities for faculty and staff. The strategies focused on the main tenants of RBLC: Caring for Self, Caring for Colleagues, and Caring for Students/Families. The principles of mutual respect, transformational leadership, open and honest communication, constant and visible support, and trust in an environment of learning are woven through the college in a Relationship-Based care environment.
Results: The latest employee satisfaction survey results show that 94% of faculty and staff are very satisfied in their work and the student satisfaction score is 84%, which is well above the national average of 75%.
Conclusion: The results of this project support the belief that implementation of a Relationship-Based Care Learning Community has created a healthy work environment and has improved the teaching and learning environment in this college of nursing. Further research is planned to evaluate the impact of this caring learning environment on the caring behaviors of students in the clinical setting.
Sigma Membership
Unknown
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Relationship-based Learning, College of Nursing
Recommended Citation
O'Sullivan, Ann and Schmitt, Marianne M., "Creating a relationship-based learning community in a college of nursing" (2012). Convention. 81.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2011/presentations_2011/81
Conference Name
41st Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Grapevine, Texas, USA
Conference Year
2011
Rights Holder
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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Creating a relationship-based learning community in a college of nursing
Grapevine, Texas, USA
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement strategies to improve employee and student satisfaction at a Midwest, single purpose College of Nursing.
Methods: Creating a healthy work environment is essential to a successful academic program. The college believes that positive relationships with colleagues and students are vital to create and maintain a healthy work environment. However, in February, 2008 employee satisfaction scores dropped from 95% to 88%. Student satisfaction was also below the expected level for the college: 77% in the Fall of 2008 and 75% in Fall of 2007. A team of faculty and staff were challenged to develop strategies to improve these satisfaction scores. Team members attended Relationship-Based Care and Reigniting the Spirit of Caring workshops and developed the Relationship-Based Learning Community (RBLC) model for the college. Subsequent interventions included retreats, monthly programs and activities for faculty and staff. The strategies focused on the main tenants of RBLC: Caring for Self, Caring for Colleagues, and Caring for Students/Families. The principles of mutual respect, transformational leadership, open and honest communication, constant and visible support, and trust in an environment of learning are woven through the college in a Relationship-Based care environment.
Results: The latest employee satisfaction survey results show that 94% of faculty and staff are very satisfied in their work and the student satisfaction score is 84%, which is well above the national average of 75%.
Conclusion: The results of this project support the belief that implementation of a Relationship-Based Care Learning Community has created a healthy work environment and has improved the teaching and learning environment in this college of nursing. Further research is planned to evaluate the impact of this caring learning environment on the caring behaviors of students in the clinical setting.
Description
41st Biennial Convention - 29 October-2 November 2011. Theme: People and Knowledge: Connecting for Global Health. Held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center.