11.06.2010Hospitals to boost nurses’ motivation

How can a hospital become and remain even more appealing to accomplished nurses, who supply proficient and reliable patient care? To answer this question, the Santeon hospitals participate in ‘Excellent Care’, an improvement project by branch organisations V&VN, NPCF and 12 healthcare organisations. The first step was the execution of a baseline measurement, based on an American questionnaire (magnet hospitals), in Dutch healthcare organisations. The results of this baseline measurement among 4,000 nurses and carers were revealed today by the cooperating parties at a conference in Nieuwegein.

The baseline measurement in the 12 healthcare institutions focused on three segments: the nurses and carers’ work, the patient care and the organisation. At a ward and institution level, the questionnaire charted what nurses and carers think of the working environment in their institution and how the hospital is organised.

Nurses and carers deem training opportunities, sufficient manpower and working with skilled colleagues primary criteria for an enjoyable working environment. They are critical of the quality of patient care and often feel it could be improved. Regarding relationships with doctors and autonomy, they are positive in all sectors. Carers are generally more positive than nurses, except where it involves the relationship with doctors. The higher the nurses and carers’ training levels, the more positive they are about their relationships with doctors.

The results roughly confirm the current insights and policy of the six Santeon hospitals. The six hospitals prove to be on the right track. At the same time, the outcome provides insight into how these hospitals can expand the professional space of nurses and carers and how the organisation can better motivate them to come and stay. Basing themselves on these results, the participating hospitals and institutions have already launched (or will continue) specific improvement courses.

The aim of the questionnaire was to see whether this examination method, based on the American best practice method, is applicable to the Dutch situation. Santeon is satisfied with the information from this examination and wants to further hone the method to better capitalise on the specific (organisation) culture in the Netherlands. Other institutions have now also indicated they want to partake in Excellent Care.

Participants in the Excellent Care pilot are:

Nursing homes
De Waalboog, Nijmegen
Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland, Amstelveen
Zorgspectrum, Nieuwegein

Homecare organisations
Buurtzorg Nederland, Almelo
Icare, Verpleging en Verzorging Flevoland

Mental healthcare
Delta Psychiatrisch Centrum, Poortugaal

Hospitals
Santeon hospitals: 
Canisius-Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen
Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven
Martini Ziekenhuis, Groningen
Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede
Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam
Sint Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein