Caring for our Staff

     In long term care, we focus our efforts on caring for our residents.  This is an important part of our work.  As a leader, do you think about caring for your staff with the same focus?  We can build better relationships with our staff when we acknowledge their struggles.  In the Nurses as Leaders Curriculum developed by Barbara Frank and Cathy Brady¹ the needs of the staff are viewed from Maslow’s Hierarcy².

     Maslow's theory is a familiar to most nurses.  As lower levels are achieved on the pyramid, individuals become motivated by higher needs. The lowest level addresses physiological needs, including food, clothing, and sleep.  Staff in long term care can struggle with these needs.  Providing food, shelter, and clothing for a family can be difficult in today’s economy.  Many staff members hold two jobs to make ends meet.  How can we support our staff with these basic needs?  Some ideas would be to have a food pantry available for staff, offer free or reduced cost meals, emergency funds or loans can be helpful, gift cards or gas cards for staff that pick up shifts or do an outstanding job.  A nurse manager I work with is organizing a coat exchange for the staff’s children.  School supplies could be collected at the beginning of the school year and offered free to staff.  There are many ideas we could use to ease the lives of the staff in long term care.  Focusing on people’s needs in this way creates loyal staff that is better able to meet the needs of the residents.

1.  Brady, C. & Frank, B. (2012).  Nurses as Leaders Curriculm.  B& F Consulting, Inc.

2. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality.  New York, NY:  Harper.