Abstract
This paper examines the theoretical underpinnings of nursing staff engagement in functioning. A general classification of levels of engagement and the existing research background has been given. It was concluded that mechanisms that allow medical managers to ensure this are still being actively studied by modern scientists. In the absence of a unified and generally accepted system for engaging employees in their work and increasing their motivation on a practical level, there is a fairly well-established theoretical basis in science.
The purpose and methods of research have been formulated, and the research papers to be involved in the theoretical framework have been analyzed. For each article and book, the key aspects that form their relevance and significance are revealed. The topicality of the research has been formulated.
Research Purpose
The most important condition for ensuring quality patient care is a high level of involvement of the nursing staff in their work. It is accepted that the commitment and dedication of employees are always a reflection of the mission of the medical organization as a whole. However, it is important to understand that the concept of engagement does not correlate with the degree of employee satisfaction with working conditions.
Lowered motivation may be present in a comfortable and supportive environment when the employee is indifferent to the duties performed or does not share certain aspects of the company’s mission. The scientific community distinguishes four levels of personnel involvement in the functioning of a medical organization.
At the high level, there is maximum possible consciousness of actions, as well as the aspiration to be innovative. Such employees are enthusiasts; they always understand how one or another of their actions and decisions will affect the fate of the company in the short and long term.
A moderate level of involvement includes employees who are highly efficient and always do their work well (Kruse, 2018). However, in this case, we cannot talk about initiative because the interest in the process is limited to specific current duties within the current working day. Such employees would not be able to answer the question of what they wanted to bring to the company’s fortunes, but they would talk in detail about their love for their profession in general.
Somewhat engaged people are more likely to be motivated only by the financial aspect (Kruse, 2018). Working in a medical institution is a means for them to provide for their lives, and they have not developed an emotional attitude toward their responsibilities, which can be reflected in periodic minor infractions. Such staff representatives are often late and forget to give reports on time, yet their overall efficiency is high.
Finally, at the bottom level, there are non-involved co-workers who have strongly negative emotions related to the work they do (Kruse, 2018). They do not share the mission of the company and often are not happy with their choice of profession in general. Within this category are often those people who undermine a healthy atmosphere in the team by provoking rumors, scandals, and dismissals for personal reasons.
Within this study, the goal is to identify the most effective strategy that will allow a manager to raise employee engagement from the lowest level to the highest. Six questions used in the engagement study need to be developed. These may include the following questions:
- Is it important to you how your work will be reviewed by patients?
- Is it important to you that patients recommend you as a good specialist to their loved ones?
- Do you believe that you damage your reputation when you make a mistake?
- Do you think that by making a mistake, you undermine the reputation of the clinic where you work?
- Are you aligning your actions with the mission of the company?
- Are you interested in knowing how satisfied your colleagues are with the company’s conditions and how you can improve your level of satisfaction?
Theoretical Framework
In the theoretical framework of this study, the methods of generalization, systematization, and classification will be used. The practical part of the work will include the method of interiority, comparison, and abstraction.
Books and scholarly articles on the topic of medical staff engagement have been used as a theoretical framework. The book of Jill Christensen (2017) provides a clear rationale for what high levels of employee engagement can give a company. The author states that engagement has a direct impact on the clinic’s financial well-being (Christensen, 2017). This is due to the fact that after episodes of negligent performance, many clients will not want to use services again.
The researchers also note that a high level of engagement is important for all layers of the staff, including administration and maintenance. In any component, including punctuality in filling out patient questionnaires or cleaning the interior of the hospital, the patient feels the staff’s interest in their recovery and, thus, the desire to recommend the facility to their friends.
Bulkapuram examines ways to measure employee engagement in medical companies. The author analyzes typical questionnaires as well as basic data for staff self-reflection (Bulkapuram, 2015). The researcher draws conclusions about the pros and cons of each questionnaire, as well as the situations in which they can be applied.
Kruse (2018) studies the specifics of creating questionnaires to track engagement. The author formulates basic principles and rules, following which it is possible to create a valid questionnaire reflecting the real situation in the company (Kruse, 2018). The researcher formulates ten basic steps, which, if followed consistently, make it possible to create a high-quality questionnaire.
Sharma et al. devoted their work to the study of methods for interpreting data from questionnaires. The author believes that when a low level of engagement is present, an additional interview is necessary to allow the researcher to more accurately explore the reasons for the low level of engagement (Sharma et al., 2019). For example, an uninvolved employee may be experiencing temporary financial or psychological difficulties, which is why the questionnaire data cannot be considered reliable.
Tom Atchison, in Reigniting Employee Engagement, discovers the planning mechanisms that can be developed for a medical study with a low level of involvement (2022). Using the example of a dental clinic, the author reveals the basic principles of strategic policy. The scholar believes it is important that there is an active statistical tracking of a variety of employee performance indicators, as well as their self-reflection (Atchison & American, 2022). More emphasis should be placed on the psychological component of the work, studying the stress levels of employees and including supervisory practices for each employee.
Finally, Truss et al. examine the psychological characteristics of the representatives of each of the four employee groups according to their level of engagement. The author describes possible scenarios that might lead a healthcare worker to have different attitudes toward his or her job (Truss et al., 2013). Moreover, there is an analysis of character and temperament patterns for each level of engagement. For example, people with melancholic tendencies and unstable self-esteem are the most likely to be the least motivated. The data used in this paper provide insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying different types of employee behavior.
References
Atchison, T. (2022). Reigniting employee engagement: A guide to rediscovering purpose and meaning in healthcare. Health Administration Press.
Bulkapuram, S. (2015). Employee engagement and its relation to hospital performance. Lambert Academic Publishing.
Christensen, J. (2017). Employee engagement in healthcare. American Society for Training and Development.
Kruse, K. (2018). Close your open door policy: The contrarian wisdom of truly great leaders. Health Administration Press.
Sharma, N., Chaudhary, N., & Singh, V. K. (2019). Management techniques for employee engagement in contemporary organizations. IGI Global.
Truss, C., Alfes, K., Delbridge, R., Shantz, A., & Soane, E. (2013). Employee engagement in theory and practice. Routledge.