Creating a Culture of Recognition: Boosting Healthcare Employee Morale and Retention

Creating a culture of recognition helps boost healthcare employee morale and retention. Because healthcare employees work long hours and have high patient loads, they deserve personal, impactful appreciation.

Understanding the importance of creating a culture of recognition and specific activities to acknowledge helps boost healthcare employee morale and retention. These guidelines can help.

Follow this guide to create a culture of recognition to boost healthcare employee morale and retention.

Importance of Creating a Culture of Healthcare Employee Recognition

Developing a culture of healthcare employee recognition is important for many reasons:

  • Valuing healthcare employee contributions: Thousands of healthcare employees lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving a significant gap in the workforce. A significant number of survivors experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Establishing a culture of support: Healthcare employees’ demanding work can cause feelings of isolation and physical and mental exhaustion.
  • Developing healthcare leaders: Healthcare employees who are regularly recognized have track records of putting in additional effort and making effective decisions.
  • Reducing healthcare employee burnout:‍ Working long hours and having limited time to sleep increase stress and can lead to burnout.
  • Attracting and retaining healthcare employees: Most healthcare employees want to work for an organization with an attractive culture and competitive compensation.
  • Supporting the healthcare workforce: Healthcare employees support employees in all industries by helping with individual and public health problems.

Recognition of Healthcare Employee Contributions

Developing a culture of healthcare employee recognition can take different forms. You can acknowledge employee contributions in any of the following areas to boost employee morale and retention:

  • Exceptional patient care: Filling emotional and medical needs to support the healing process.
  • Teamwork: Contributing knowledge, skills, and experience to support a culture of trust and support.
  • Clinical excellence: Demonstrating exceptional proficiency through certificates, service awards, accreditations, or accomplishments.
  • Patient safety: Leading initiatives to prevent hospital-acquired infections or implementing administrative strategies to reduce medical errors.
  • Leadership: Supporting interns and medical residents through mentorship, coaching, or formal training programs.
  • Community engagement: Providing medical care in disadvantaged communities.

Methods to Recognize Healthcare Employees

You can choose among the following methods to recognize healthcare employee contributions:

  • Verbally praise a specific activity‍ such as diffusing a difficult patient situation.
  • Acknowledge in the organization’s newsletter a specific employee achievement.
  • Provide formal recognition in categories such as high patient satisfaction.
  • Give on-the-spot recognition for activities such as providing support to another employee.
  • Provide meals for employees working holidays.
  • Reward specific accomplishments with additional paid time off (PTO), a bonus, a pay increase, or a promotion.

Do You Need to Add Members to Your Healthcare Team?

HireCall can provide you with experienced healthcare candidates who value company culture. Contact us at one of our offices across in Oklahoma and Georgia or our newest location in Jacksonville, Florida, to discuss your staffing needs today.