Abstract

Achievement of strategic priorities in one rural health system is predicated on a foundational goal—creating an ideal work environment. As such, sustaining a work environment that supports team cohesion and staff empowerment is an organizational imperative and a primary responsibility for leaders at all levels. In a biennial employee partnership assessment, nurse manager survey scores experienced double digit declines for three questions related to communication and professional influence over work. Low satisfaction and engagement of nurse managers affect role performance, the unit culture and practice environment. Lack of role power and influence inhibits goal attainment and further erodes organizational commitment. Nurse managers exhibiting behaviors of marginalization and disempowerment requested organizational support to address powerlessness and low self-esteem. Innovative strategies and nurse manager support are required to manage an increasingly complex workload and mitigate stress. Improvements are needed in nurse managers' perception of organizational support and self-empowerment. Each nurse manager needs from his or her superior what subordinates need from nurse managers—visible commitment and tangible support. Research related to nurse leader work life and satisfaction demonstrates that in addition to senior leader support, engagement of those affected by change is an important requirement for success.

Mary Ann Laufer

Author Details

Mary A. Laufer, DNP, MSN, RN, NE-BC

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Nurse Managers, Engagement, Satisfaction, Oppressed Group Behavior

Advisor

JoAnn Manty

Second Advisor

Jill Schramm

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Capella University

Degree Year

2015

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

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.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2015-03-17

Full Text of Presentation

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