Values are beliefs in a specific choice or action that an organization or individual regards as good or evil, worthy or unworthy, significant or unimportant. They have an impact on how people act, execute and complete tasks, and interact with others (Barnet, 2015). As a result, the performance of the organization in terms of financial development, teamwork, strategic alliances, and productivity becomes evident and simple to attain. Nursing values, similarly, are beliefs that guide decision-making, actions, and behaviors (Van Bogaert, van Heusden, Timmermans & Franck, 2014). They also have an impact on best practices, which can lead to better patient outcomes. According to Van Bogaert et al. (2014), they drive employees to make a significant difference in the lives of nurses, organizations, and patients. However, if these two types of values conflict, the consequences are adverse. Reason being that one of the three situations may arise. One, the individual nurse can either stand up against organization values and lose the job or turn a blind eye to personal beliefs, thereby becoming guilty (Van Bogaert, et al., 2014). Finally, the individual can try to influence change within the organization for a constructive behavioral culture. In this case, aligning organizational and nursing values is critically important. In this case, the highest employees' performance and productivity come with the alignment of these two types of values.
Alignment between organization's and nursing values impacts employees in some ways. First, it helps construct a productive organization culture based on compatible organizations and nursing values (MacFarland, 2013). For example, this can be achieved through teamwork and socialize both that creates synergies and allows employees to participate in providing patients' services. Second, employees whose values do not conflict with the organization have demonstrated a high level of motivation in execution and completion of the tasks. Third, the alignment promotes communication within the organization and interconnection between employee's behaviors and organizations values (MacFarland, 2013). In this case, nurses will make their decisions out of this alignment. Moreover, the alignment promotes collaboration for a healthier, stronger and interactive relationship between the nursing teams and management. Furthermore, alignment promotes patients service orientations leading to delivery of quality care to the patients (Barnet, 2015). In this case, constructive alignment equates to quality patients centered care.
In nursing organizations, communication is a fundamentally necessary. In this case, promoting a culture that allows open communication can help interchange thoughts, opinions, and information without risking one's position or job in an organization (Barnet, 2015). One way of ensuring effective communication is through navigating arguments. This not only helps avoid conflicts and personal attacks but also focus on the issues at hand. Also, active listening that involves asking for clarifications helps pass the message across and reducing errors that may occur as a failure to misunderstanding (Barnet, 2015). Another way of overcoming workplace challenges is by use of communication skills. Such skill should demonstrate the ability to address one issue at a time and avoiding accusations.
Also, using the communication skills whether in writing or verbally will help understand the other person and restate their feelings and thoughts. The other important thing is to use body language. In essence, this posture, appearance, facial expression, and gestures tend to pass the message across without speaking (Barnet, 2015). For example, a nurse can detect an underlying feeling of dislike or disapproval of a certain idea y observing how other team members transit their facial expression. Finally, it is important to avoid sitting in on the co-worker's opinions, overanalyze the conversation and interruption during the conversation (Barnet, 2015). As a result, of effective communication, members can eliminate inappropriate interruptions, misunderstanding and personal attacks. Instead, they can achieve the best decision together, build trust among each other, and encourage new learning.
One example of misalignment of organizational and nursing values is when a local public health organization insisted on centralization of budget and resources, or cumbersome management structures that prevent effective communication and decision making. In this case, nurses who believe in caring for the sick and saving lives found it difficult to work. As a result, many resigned from their jobs while a significant number were put retention by management as a punishment for not complying.
Due to such cumbersome management structures, the nurses were demotivated to participate in decision-making leading to many agreeing with management's decision whether developmental or not. Other who felt their professional integrity was at risk gave up and resigned. Also, patients care provision, especially to those who were financially disadvantaged, were compromised. The reason for this is that with centralization, resources were limited. Patients could come to the hospital and leave without proper medication but only those that they could afford to pay. Finally, there was underperformance since the teamwork values were ignored to fit the organization's values because when organization's values conflict with those of individual, many nurses will find it hard to communicate their opinion openly.
In conclusion, aligning organization beliefs and value with those of nursing is imperative because it promotes interaction within a team, employee's performance, decision making and change implementation. One factor that can help in alignment is effective communication by use of proper skills, active listening, and body language. As result of aligning the two types of values, management will motivate its employees and prevent unnecessary resignation of nurses or retention.
References
Barnet, S. (2015). Aligning your workforce strategy with patient outcomes. Beckershospitalreview.com. Retrieved 2 June 2017, from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/human-capital-and-risk/aligning-your-workforce-strategy-with-patient-outcomes.html
MacFarland, S. (2013). Why Should Companies and Employees Have Shared Values? HuffPost. Retrieved 2 June 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-macfarland/why-should-companies-and-_b_4225199.html
Van Bogaert, P., van Heusden, D., Timmermans, O., & Franck, E. (2014). Nurse work engagement impacts job outcome and nurse-assessed quality of care: model testing with nurse practice environment and nurse work characteristics as predictors. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01261
