For nurses, professional fulfillment often goes beyond salary and benefits.
Fulfillment means having a safe, supportive workplace that empowers nurses to provide exceptional patient care, which is what frequently drives nurses to join the profession. When healthcare organizations invest in their nurses, it creates a ripple effect that can boost job satisfaction and elevate patient outcomes.
How well does your workplace measure up?
The building blocks of a top workplace
Amid rising burnout and overwhelming pressures, nurses are increasingly re-evaluating their future in the profession. The Nurse.com 2024 Nurse Salary and Work-Life Report revealed that 23% of nurse respondents are considering leaving the profession, while 59% had experienced burnout in the past two years.
In a field where burnout and turnover are ongoing challenges, the best healthcare companies to work for create supportive workplaces by focusing on key areas that make a tangible difference to individual nurses and team morale, which include:
- Comprehensive workplace safety protocols: Implementing clear safety protocols, including emergency procedures, reporting systems, and regular safety drills show nurses that their safety is a top priority and that they are fully supported in maintaining a secure environment.
- Adequate staffing and resources: Optimal staffing levels, essential resources, and access to up-to-date technology can reduce stress on nurses and help maintain high-quality care.
- Well-being programs: Mental health support and work-life balance initiatives demonstrate that employers care about their nurses’ well-being on a deeper level.
- Career growth opportunities: The best healthcare employers actively support continuing education, certifications, and career advancement, allowing nurses to grow both personally and professionally.
Prioritizing mental health
The link between mental health and job satisfaction among nurses is well-established, with studies showing that when mental health is supported, job satisfaction improves. Research also indicates that high-stress environments without adequate mental health resources can lead to burnout and higher turnover rates.
The best healthcare companies to work for understand this connection and give nurses access to ample mental health resources, such as counseling services and wellness programs — they also openly support nurses’ use of these resources.
Working in an environment that prioritizes mental health ensures that nurses can provide their best care without sacrificing their well-being in the process.
Keeping nurses safe
Nurses need employers to prioritize their physical and emotional safety, but research has shown there’s room for improvement on that front. According to the Nurse.com 2024 Nurse Salary and Work-Life Report, 64% of nurses reported being subjected to verbal abuse, and 23% had experienced a physical assault or abuse by a patient or family member. Thirty-one percent of nurse respondents also experienced verbal abuse, and 4% experienced physical abuse perpetrated by a colleague.
Workplace violence, or even the threat of it, intensifies the mental and emotional demands on nurses and highlights the importance of working in an organization that actively works to prevent such incidents.
Creating a safe and supportive workplace for nurses involves implementing strategies that reduce workplace violence and foster a respectful environment. These include:
- Establishing a zero-tolerance policy for violence: Implement a clear, organization-wide zero-tolerance policy for any form of workplace violence, with specific consequences for violations. This approach communicates that safety is a top priority and reinforces a culture of respect and security within healthcare settings.
- Providing de-escalation and self-defense training: Equipping nurses with training in de-escalation techniques and self-defense helps them prepare for potentially volatile situations and reduce the risk of escalation and injury.
- Enhancing security measures: Implement physical security measures such as controlled access processes reduce the risk to nurses.
- Actively listening to nurses’ concerns about safety: Committing to a culture in which nurses’ safety concerns are heard and acted upon strengthens trust within the organization.
Nominate your employer for a Top Workplaces award
How is your organization doing when it comes to providing an ideal work atmosphere for you and your colleagues?
If you believe your employer excels at creating a safe, innovative, and supportive environment for nurses, nominate your organization for the Top Workplaces for Nursing award.
As nurses continue to play a critical role in healthcare, the need for workplaces that value and support their staff has never been more important. The Top Workplaces for Nursing Award is a way to call attention to organizations that are rising to the occasion.
“At Nurse.com, we’ve built a community where nurses can connect, grow, and feel supported at every stage of their journey,” and Cara Lunsford, RN, Vice President of Community at Nurse.com. “We’re grateful to help shine a light on those who are setting the bar for what it truly means to create safe, supportive, and sustainable work environments within healthcare.”
Nurses who participate in the Top Workplaces for Nursing program are helping to:
- Encourage workplace pride. If you work at a great company, give yourself and colleagues a morale boost with something to celebrate. And give your employer well-deserved credit for creating something special.
- Attract talented nurses to your organization. Nurses are drawn to organizations recognized as Top Workplaces because they create purposeful, supportive environments where nurses’ work is valued.
- Exemplify excellence. Set a new standard in the healthcare industry by showing that your organization is dedicated to supporting its staff and fostering a healthy, productive environment.
By prioritizing workplace safety, mental health support, and innovation, employers create environments where nurses can truly thrive. If you feel your workplace exemplifies these values, consider nominating them for a Top Workplaces for Nursing award when nominations open on November 13, 2024.
Recognizing your workplace not only celebrates your team but also sets a higher standard for the future of nursing, which benefits everyone in the profession and the patients they care for.
Top Workplaces awards are based on authentic employee feedback from a research-backed survey. Participation is free and confidential.
