It’s common for nursing assistants to feel like they are powerless in the workplace. They may think of themselves as the least important employees—unable to make a difference no matter what they do. It’s important to remind your employees that they do have power…and to help them recognize it.
Their personal power comes from their communication skills and their desire for personal achievement.
Their relationship power comes from their ability to work well with others.
Their knowledge power comes from their experiences on the job and from their continuing education efforts. (Remind your employees that knowledge is power and that the more they know about their work, the more valuable they’ll be to your organization–and to their clients.)
Their task power comes from their daily work. Their close contact with clients gives them a unique ability to make suggestions for improving client care. Because nursing assistants perform up to 80% of the client care for your organization, they have the power to make or break the reputation of your company.
The Bottom Line: Encourage your nurse aides to make every decision on the job as if they owned the company! And be sure to acknowledge when you see them demonstrate their importance to your health care team.
Happy Teaching!
Linda
