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many nurses worked with the ANA to provide sup- Ms. G. came to work after a sleepless night. Her
port for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. young son had been diagnosed with leukemia, and
Your importance in emergency readiness and she was very worried about him. When she men-
bioterrorism is important. Following are some sug- tioned her concerns, her team leader interrupted her,
gestions for steps that can be implemented in the saying, “Please leave your personal problems at
workplace (awhonn.org/HealthPolicyLegislative/ home. We have a lot of work to do, and we expect
BIOT ER R OR ISMP R EPA R EDNE SS/ you to do your share.” Ms. G. worked in a nonsup-
bioterrorismpreparedness): portive environment.
■ Know the evacuation procedures and routes in Support from peers and supervisors involves pro-
your facility. fessional concerns as well as personal ones. In a
■ Develop your knowledge of the most likely and supportive environment, people are willing to make
dangerous biochemical agents. difficult decisions, take risks, and “go the extra
■ Monitor for unusual disease patterns, and notify mile” for team members and the organization. In
appropriate authorities as needed. contrast, in a nonsupportive environment, members
■ Know the backup systems available for commu- are afraid to take risks, avoid making decisions, and
nication and staffing in the event of emergencies. usually limit their commitment.
■ Know the disaster policies and procedures in
your facility as well as state and federal laws that Involvement in Decision Making
pertain to licensed personnel. The importance of having a voice in the decisions
made about one’s work and patients cannot be
Enhancing the Quality of Work Life overstated. Empowerment is a related phenome-
non. It is a sense of having both the ability and the
Both the social and physical aspects of a workplace opportunity to act effectively (Kramer &
can affect the way in which people work and how Schmalenberg, 1993). Empowerment is the oppo-
they feel about their jobs.The social aspects include site of apathy and powerlessness. Many actions can
working relationships, a climate that allows growth be taken to empower nurses: remove barriers to
and creativity, and cultural diversity. their autonomy and to their participation in deci-
sion making, publicly express confidence in their
Social Environment
capability and value, reward initiative and assertive-
Working Relationships ness, and provide role models who demonstrate
Many aspects of the social environment received confidence and competence. The following illus-
attention in earlier chapters. Team building, com- trates the difference between empowerment and
municating effectively, and developing leadership powerlessness:
skills are essential to the development of working
Soon after completing orientation, Nurse A heard a
relationships. The day-to-day interactions with
new nurse aide scolding a patient for soiling the bed.
one’s peers and supervisors have a major impact on
Nurse A did not know how incidents of potential
the quality of the workplace environment.
verbal abuse were handled in this institution, so she
Support of One’s Peers and Supervisors reported it to the nurse manager. The nurse manager
asked Nurse A several questions and thanked her for
Most employees feel keenly the difference between
the information. The new aide was counseled
a supportive and a nonsupportive environment:
immediately after their meeting. Nurse A noticed a
Ms. B. came to work already tired. Her baby was positive change in the aide’s manner with patients
sick and had been awake most of the night. Her after this incident. Nurse A felt good about having
team expressed concern about the baby when she told contributed to a more effective patient care team.
them she had a difficult night. Each team member Nurse A felt empowered and will take action again
voluntarily took an extra patient so that Ms. B. when another occasion arises.
could have a lighter assignment that day. When Ms. A colleague of Nurse B was an instructor at a
B. expressed her appreciation, her team leader said, community college. This colleague asked Nurse B if
“We know you would do the same for us.” Ms. B. students would be welcome on her unit. “Of course,”
worked in a supportive environment. replied Nurse B. “I’ll speak with my head nurse