Building a Multigenerational Team in Nursing from A-Z Webinar Synopsis

This write-up was created as a synopsis for the corresponding webinar posted under “events” on the Center for Optimizing Rural Health website. More information on this topic is available in the original webinar video. The link is uploaded to the CORH site.

Factors Influencing Healthcare Today

  • Global pandemic
  • Telehealth/virtual care
  • Patients are seen as consumers
  • Care is more personalized
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) use is on the rise
  • Payer shifts
  • An increase in multigenerational diversity

Changing Demographics of the Nursing Workforce

  • May 2020 median pay for Registered Nurses: $75,330/year or $36.22/hour
  • Government: $84,490
  • Hospitals (state, local, and private): $76,840
  • Ambulatory healthcare services: $72,340
  • Nursing and Residential Care Facilities: $68,450
  • Educational Services (state, local, and private): $64,630
  • Typical Entry- BSN (65% of all RNs have their BSN)
  • Number of RNs in the United States- 4,198,031
  • There is a 7% job outlook for growth.
  • 2/3 nurses work full-time
  • Average age: 52
  • 81% are White/Caucasian and 9.4% are male
  • More than 20% of all nurses reported they plan to retire from nursing over the next 5 years

Top 5 Needs for All Generations in the Nursing Workforce

  • An opportunity to advance within the organization
  • Better work/life balance
  • Better pay/benefits
  • Respect and Recognition
  • Access to opportunities for learning and development

Avoid Stereotypes (Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch)

  1. Establish a culture where nurses can buy into the mission and vision- be a part of something bigger than themselves.
  2. Establish fair/equitable conditions
  3. Establish clarity

Keys to Building Teams

  • Improve Communication
  • Inclusion
  • Trust
  • Conflict Resolution

Toolkits for Multigenerational Teambuilding

These tools can be implemented to improve the four keys to team building listed above:

  • Finding “Soul” in a Staff Meeting
  • Ask nurses to think of a time they were fully engaged in their work—they felt like they made a difference—and have individuals share stories—look for themes and factors or conditions that created the “soulful” environment.
  • 3 Cs at a Staff Meeting
  • Contribution: ask someone to share what they did in the past month that made a difference
  • Craft: ask someone to share where they are a co-worker delivered high quality or is developing a new skill
  • Community: connect with coworkers authentically—potluck, unit celebration, showers, birthdays
  • Removing Barriers to Quality Care
  • Pass out sticky notes and ask staff to brainstorm every obstacle to patient-centered quality care (one note for each) Stick notes on the wall and divide into small teams 2-4 and separate notes into
  • 1) quick fixes and 2) breakthroughs- can be accomplished but might take some time 3) unpreventable- may not be eliminated but could find a work-around
  • Old-Fashioned Report Cards- A, B, C, D, F communication, feel connected, feel valued, provides professional growth (Keeps finger on the “pulse” of a team)
  • “Ask Me”
  • What was your car during nursing school?
  • What was a popular music group during nursing school?
  • Describe your weekend activities in nursing school
  • Mine Field: A game played in pairs—blindfolded teammate negotiates around obstacles in room through direction of other teammate OR finds an object in the room
  • Four-Word Build
  • At least four divided pairs: Identify the difficult topic, each person writes 4 words that come to their mind regarding the topic (no wrong answers) then in pairs share others lists and pick top 4 words. Then, pairs combine and pick top 4 words to share with the group.
  • “Toxic Waste” transfer- multiple variations (takes up to an hour)
  • “Code of Conduct”- nurses list meaningful values and conduct on the unit- place on whiteboard/wall and prioritize using sticker dots- this builds unit consensus and culture
  • “Campfire Stories”- Write out prompts such as “best patient experience”, “Worst patient experience”, “first day back,” “off the unit nursing,” “best discharge story,” or “worst admission.” This is great to get team members talking and sharing experiences to build cohesiveness
  • “Back of the Napkin”- present a quality problem to tackle and ask for back of the napkin ideas from small teams of 2-3. Offer a prize for the best solution
  • “Jig saw” get two simple puzzles (24 pieces or less), mix the pieces together, and divide in 2 teams and split the mixed pieces. They will eventually realize they need to work together to solve the puzzles

In Summary

Have respect for all, understand differences, play to strengths, and include flexibility/acknowledgement of a desire work/life balance