When we talk about voice, we mean your ability to have a say in how things are done here…such as making improvements in working conditions affecting quality or safety. Here are just a few of the many ways nurses have a voice at Methodist Healthcare:
Employee Advisory Group- the purpose of the EAG (Employee Advisory Group) is to provide a forum for employees to voice concerns or issues that affect them in their workplace, share their ideas and suggestions for improvement, and work collaboratively with management to continuously improve the work environment. The volunteers on this committee come from a wide variety of departments. Look for the EAG posters or contact your Human Resource consultant if you would like to know the names of the employees that represent your facility.
Staff Nurse Leadership Council, (SNLC)- as outlined in our Nursing Bylaws Organization and Function Manual the SNLC addresses issues of nursing importance and provides input to the Staff Nurse Leadership Board on issues that may improve clinical practice, hospital operations and a healthy workplace environment. Every nursing unit/department should send a representative to the meetings. The representative facilitates communication between hospital administration, nurse managers/directors, and the nursing units. Often times the representative will return to the unit and gain feedback on a certain issue so that he/she can take it back to the next SNLC meeting. In effect, your unit representative will carry the voice of his/her unit back to the meetings in order to make decisions.
Unit/Department Staff Meetings- staff meetings are another time for two way communication. Although the manager/director may have a lot of information to share, staff meetings are also an opportunity for the employees to speak up and discuss things as a team. Leaders always appreciate your ideas and feedback.
Town Hall Meetings- these meetings are held on a quarterly basis and all employees are encouraged to participate. The meetings are led by Senior Leadership and the discussion is always interactive. There is always time on the agenda for an open discussion. This is a great time for employees to voice their comments and suggestions.
Bright Idea Boxes- just jot down your thought or suggestion and drop it in one of the boxes posted in the high traffic area of your facility. You can include your name or you can submit something anonymously.
Employee Satisfaction Survey- this anonymous survey is conducted once a year by an outside company. We use the survey to validate that we are doing well and to identify opportunities for improvement. The results are compared to previous years and to other HCA facilities. It is a very effective tool as directors are required to design a work plan in response to their respective department survey results. So by sharing their voice, employees’ concerns are targeted and addressed.
