Organizational culture and values

Organizational Culture and Values

The alignment of organizational and nurse values can affect nurse engagement, and therefore patient outcomes. It has been well-documented that in many instances workers and the organizations for whom they work can have conflicting values (O'Reilly, Chatman & Caldwell, 1991). This fit has been found to be a predictor of many things, including job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Nurses are no exception to this rule, so it is important that nurses and healthcare organizations seek to find the best fit between values, in order to encourage a higher level of nurse engagement.

Conflicting values can occur

When values differ, job satisfaction and organizational commitment diminish

Nurse engagement depends on value alignment

Where values are aligned, there will be a higher level of nurse engagement

Slide 2: Nurse engagement has been found to important to nurse performance. This, in turn, affects patient outcomes. Empowered workers have higher performance levels (Wong, Laschinger, 2013). Engaged workers have been found to focus their cognitive, physical and emotional efforts towards goal attainment. This has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Thus, values affect engagement, engagement affects patient outcomes.

Performance is affected by engagement

Performance affects patient outcomes

Link between values and patient outcomes

Greater value alignment will mean better patient outcomes

Slide 3: Effective communication is an essential part of success in any organization. Being able to listen, to understand perspectives, and then to communicate ideas clearly is an asset. Where challenges arise, effective communication can help to resolve those challenges. Communication can also improve patient outcomes, because of its ability to overcome challenges and improve team-based outcomes (Leonard, Graham & Bonacum, 2004).

Communication is essential

Listening, understanding and expressing

Communication is the key to dealing with challenges

Improve team-based outcomes

Slide 4: Communication is an essential component in collaborative process. Collaboration brings people together to achieve a common goal. In multiteam systems as found in a healthcare organization, communication allows for ideas to flow freely, and for conflicts to be resolved, delivering superior results (Keyton, Ford & Smith, 2012)

Collaboration requires communication

Collaboration is focused on a common goal

Ideas flow freely

Conflicts are resolved more easily

This delivers superior results.

Slide 5: One example in my experience is a situation when the nurses really supported a young patient who was fighting an illness, but the organization did not have the same view. They knew the parents could not afford the treatment. This caused a lot of issues within the organization, because the managers wanted to cut back on the treatment, and even refuse the admit the patient unless it was an emergency, but the nurses were not in favor of this at all.

Young patient

Horrible illness

No money

Nurses were in favor of best treatment possible

Management wanted to cut costs, fearing they wouldn't get paid.