{"id":11738,"date":"2020-05-01T15:53:42","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T19:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertise.nurse.com\/?p=11738"},"modified":"2026-01-05T02:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T07:34:00","slug":"nurse-recognition-essential-during-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nurse.com\/solutions\/blog\/nurse-recognition-essential-during-crisis","title":{"rendered":"Nurse Recognition Is Essential During a Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meaningful nurse recognition<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nurse recruiters, managers and leaders are typically aware of the importance of providing nurses with meaningful recognition. Why? As multiple studies have reported, meaningful nurse recognition can be an essential practice for creating healthy work environments and increased job satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all want to be recognized for our good work, from frontline staff to nursing leaders,\u201d said Anne Jessie, DNP, RN, president-elect of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing<\/a> (AAACN) and senior director of clinical operations at Evolent Health in Roanoke, Va.<\/p>\n

Nurses need to feel valued, especially now<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With regards to increasing nurse retention, one key ingredient is nurse engagement, said Deena Gilland, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, national director of AAACN and vice president and CNO at Emory Ambulatory Patient Services Operations at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf nurses are engaged, they\u2019re involved in the mission, their role and how their role is optimized and appreciated,\u201d Gilland said. \u201cNurses work tirelessly and not always in the limelight. Focusing on meaningful, intentional recognition for individual nurses and groups is imperative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under normal conditions, providing meaningful nurse recognition is crucial for recruitment <\/a>and retention. That\u2019s even more true now during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you\u2019re providing meaningful recognition, Jessie said your nurses feel valued.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you feel your work is valued and you\u2019re making an impact, you\u2019re more likely to stay with your organization,\u201d she said. \u201cThis applies during both good and challenging times, such as when there is a management change or during a crisis like COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given the fear of going to work during the pandemic, it\u2019s essential to build trust with your staff, according to Gilland.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWhether it is providing enough personal protective equipment (PPE) or having good policies, practices and procedures in place, the time to build trust is before a crisis strikes,\u201d she said. \u201cThey won\u2019t come to work if they don\u2019t trust the organization has their best interests in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilland pointed out that nurses are strong and courageous, but also human.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s essential employers create a trust and emotional bank account with their staff,\u201d she said. \u201cBuilding trust and loyalty can be achieved with intentional and consistent design and practice every day \u2013 not just during nurses\u2019 week.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Jessie, providing meaningful recognition also increases staff morale and loyalty to an organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your staff don\u2019t feel valued or recognized, they will leave,\u201d she said. \u201cOn the other hand, if they feel recognized and appreciated, they will stay and feel more positive about their jobs and bring that positivity to others. It\u2019s contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Effective recognition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are formal and informal ways to provide recognition, according to Jessie.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome nurses appreciate public recognition, while others prefer a private pat on the back by their supervisor,\u201d she said. \u201cEffective recognition needs to be individualized for the person you want to recognize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acknowledging good teamwork is important, too. \u201cRecognizing an entire team for standing up a COVID-19 testing site in 24 hours or establishing a telephone triage line, rewards the whole team for doing an outstanding job on a new and urgent workflow process,\u201d Jessie said.<\/p>\n

Both Gilland and Jesse shared the following examples of structured, system-wide and formal nurse recognition methods for a job well done:<\/p>\n