Work Environment Assessment Example

Part 1: Work Environment Assessment

My evaluation revealed that my workplace was relatively healthy, earning a score of 80. Among the findings were that members of the organization abided by a common vision and mission founded on trust, respect, and collegiality, and that the organization encouraged the open communication of opposing or divergent opinions and thoughts.

I was taken aback by two aspects of the results. In the first place, I never considered issues like poor communication, an excessive amount of work, a failure to collaborate, or a lack of opportunities for professional growth to be the root reasons for workplace incivility and unhealthiness. I also did not think that the main reasons why my workplace was healthy and civil were that the company encouraged people to speak their views, even if they were unpopular or contrary, and that they were treated with dignity and fairness. My preconceived notion that nurses had an exorbitant, unsustainable, and unjustly allocated workload was reinforced by the results of the evaluation. Gad et al. (2021) state that owing to staffing shortages, nurses have an excessively heavy burden. It has long been common knowledge to me that registered nurses have unfair and untenable workloads.

The assessment indicated that my organization was pretty civilized and had a reasonable level of health and safety for its employees. This is because it scored an 80 on the assessment, which is considered a relatively good score. Accordingly, it is reasonable to say that there are not many instances of uncivil behavior in my working environment. Crucial areas for improvement and advancement entail open lines of communication, effective cooperation, and the fair distribution of workload.

Part 2: Reviewing the Literature

Clark et al. (2011) wrote an article that makes reference to a conceptual paradigm for improving the level of civility imparted to nursing students. According to the model, incivility in nursing schools stems from students’ increased levels of stress, their workload, their sense of entitlement, and the faculty members’ impression of being superior. This paradigm may be utilized in both clinical and academic settings to pinpoint sources of distress that contribute to uncivil behavior among nurses. Similar to the difficulties seen in nursing practice, the elements that create distress in nursing school include inadequate preparation, challenging working circumstances, ambiguous responsibilities, and an excessive workload.

My workplace assessment findings are consistent with the paradigm proposed by Clark et al. (2011). The findings provide credence to the model’s potential usefulness. The assessment indicated that being overburdened and having inadequate knowledge were contributing factors to the uncivil behavior at my organization. The paradigm’s outlook of incivility in nursing schools due to students’ sense of entitlement, insufficient knowledge, excessive workloads, and faculty supremacy holds true here.

The paradigm described in the article may be used to design approaches to lessen stresses that promote incivility within our workplace, thereby improving workplace health and fostering the development of more effective working relationships. Training, open lines of communication, and the creation of civilized rules and practices are all examples of possible approaches. Nurses’ attitudes should benefit from training that emphasizes the need for respect for others and discourages behaviors like bullying. The best communication methods may help people talk to one another in a way that is courteous, honest, and open. Civility may be improved by the implementation of practices and policies that foster a more equitable distribution of authority, demonstrate respect for workers, and prioritize their well-being on the job.

Part 3: Evidence-Based Strategies to Create High-Performance Inter-professional Teams

Self-care measures and training are two techniques that may be used to fix the problems I found in my workplace assessment. Self-care measures including mindfulness, regular exercise, consuming plenty of water, eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep, and spending time with family and friends may be helpful in dealing with stress, a key contributor to uncivil behavior (Clark et al., 2015). According to the assessment findings, inadequate teamwork was also a source of uncivil behavior. Stress, which lowers motivation, may be a contributing factor to ineffective teamwork. Nurses’ attitudes and appreciation for their vital responsibilities in patient care might be influenced by better communication (Brady et al., 2017). The nurses’ ability to get along with one another is crucial to the success of any team effort, and this practice may assist establish those necessary relationships. The investigation found that a major contributor to the unsanitary working conditions was a lack of cooperation among the nursing staff.

Creating new practices and protocols, and improving lines of communication, are two approaches that might be used to strengthen current processes in our organization. Among the techniques that have been shown to be effective is having a common vision and mission that everyone in the organization works toward with trust and respect. This may be strengthened via the development of vertical communication, in which information about the institution’s mission and vision is continuously disseminated from the upper leadership to the lower ranks. As a result, the whole corporation has a better chance of maintaining its dedication to its original goals.

References

Brady, A., Byrne, G., Quirke, M. B., Lynch, A., Ennis, S., Bhangu, J., & Prendergast, M. (2017). Barriers to effective, safe communication and workflow between nurses and non-consultant hospital doctors during out-of-hours. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 29(7), 929-934.

Clark, C. M. (2015). Conversations to inspire and promote a more civil workplace. American Nurse Today, 10(11).

Clark, C. M., Olender, L., Cardoni, C., & Kenski, D. (2011). Fostering civility in nursing education and practice: Nurse leader perspectives. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(7/8), 324-330.

Gad, S., Safan, S., & Gaballah, A. (2021). Staff nurses ‘Perception of teamwork and its effect on their job performance at Menoufia University hospitals. Menoufia Nursing Journal, 6(1), 131-145.