Job Reflection about Nursing - Case Study Example

Job Reflection about Nursing Name University Abstract In the medicine industry, the success of organizations depends on the selection and recruitment, as well as the initiatives used by the facility in motivating the workers to ensure that they are highly satisfied. The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is no exception. The institution has adopted and mastered suitable strategies in the hiring process as well as motivating them. The selection and recruitment process have been streamlined so that only competent staff are selected. However, to ensure that they are motivated, the organization has put in place various strategies, including pay, leaves, as well as good remuneration. For satisfaction, the facility offers them with continual career advancement options, as well as an excellent wellness and fitness initiative. All these aspects ensure that the organization is highly reputable with Registered Nurses working at the institution until retirement. Job Reflection about Nursing Description of job and organization My cousin works as a Registered Nurse (RN) at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Being a close relative and friend, I have learned a lot about her job primarily because it is in line with my profession. Mainly, I took interest inthe nursing profession after I learned a lot from her about her job. At the organization, she is involved with various duties and responsibilities. The job requires that the nurse takes a primary role in caring and treating patients. It also involves educating the patients, their families, as well as the public about the various medical conditions afflicting the patients and providing them with emotional advice and support. In addition, Registered Nurses perform diagnostic tests and analyze the results, operate medical equipment, record patients’ medical histories and symptoms, administer medications, and play a huge role in rehabilitating the patient among other duties. The facility where she works at, the Massachusetts General Hospital, is one of the best hospitals in the country. Having being established in 1811, it one of the oldest medical facility in the nation. According to Glassdoor (n.d), the institution is busy but very rewarding, and most importantly, intellectually stimulating. Many of the workers working there are very satisfied as the organization ensures that they have a work-life balance, can advance their careers by providing them with career opportunities. Additionally, the institution has the best minds in the medical field, thereby, it provides the nurses with a great opportunity of bettering their skills (MGH, n.d). The institution provides the Registered Nurses with an opportunity of furthering their studies, as well as building on their skills via programs featuring the latest data and equipment. Besides, it provides the nurses with a good benefits package that entails a cash balance retirement scheme, life insurance, and an opportunity to accrue 29 days of remunerated leave annually. The two lenses that will be used for the job reflection are recruitment and selection, and employee motivation and satisfaction. These lenses have been selected as they constitute as they are important aspects of Registered Nurses. For instance, for one to be a registered nurse they have to meet the criteria of selection and recruitment to enter the profession. For this reason, this paper covers the main aspects and qualifications that an individual should possess to pursue the profession. It important as it lays the foundation for success in the career, thereby increasing their competence. Further, by understanding the recruitment and selection criteria, a nurse is guaranteed of competent placement in regards to the organization and pay. On the other hand, the second lens, employee motivation and satisfaction is paramount in the profession as it ensures that the nurses’ performance is not compromised. It is vital to note that the life of the patients depends on the level of motivation and satisfaction. Indeed, satisfaction and motivation are directly correlated to an increased and optimal performance, and in turn, this hugely dictates how well the roles and responsibilities are accomplished in the workplace. Lens 1: Recruitment and Selection Since Registered Nurses work alongside physicians, their recruitment and selection hugely depend on their education. For this reason, just like other professions, the selection and recruitment of competent staff are dependent on their academic qualifications (Waugh et al., 2014). Therefore, Registered Nurses have to have the right education, which is obtained by completing a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree program in nursing. However, their final requirements is being registered, usually through passing a licensing examination. A prime example is that the nurse may pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing by enrolling in an RN-BSN program at any point in their careers. The licensing is the most important part of a Registered Nurse. For instance, the National Council of State Boards demands that all nurses working in the US should be registered by accomplishing the National Council Licensure Examination. As a matter of fact, many organizations undertake the hiring of a Registered Nurse online. Therefore, the recruitment and hiring process starts by online application. For the Massachusetts General Hospital, nurses can find and apply for jobs at http://www.massgeneral.org/careers/jobsearch.aspx (MGH, n.d). The nurse recruitment staff will then review all the applications and carefully select qualified candidates for an interview. After viable candidates are shortlisted, they are contacted and informed of the interview schedule, this is followed by e-mail confirming the appointment. References are crucial aspects of the selection and recruitment process for registered nurses. For instance, all experienced ones are required to have proof of having taken critical care courses from renowned institutions. They are required to carry a copy of their resume, transcripts and reference letters from hospitals they have practiced before. For experienced Registered Nurses, they also have to carry their performance appraisals from their previous organizations(Waugh et al., 2014). Besides, all candidates scheduled for the interview should ensure that they carry recommendations from organizations they have worked before. All applicants must bring a reference letter from a clinical instructor dealing with medical or surgical or any other medical areas. Mostly, the candidates who provide viable clinical referees, preferably from a more senior position, always stand a better chance of landing the job. In addition, as Saxena and Rai (2015) point out, those candidates who have previously worked with reputable organizations, such as Mayo Clinic or Centers for Disease Control (CDC), have better odds of being hired. A recruitment team encompasses the Director of Nurse Recruitment, Placement Specialist, Nurse Recruiters, as well as support staff help and guide the selected Registered Nurses based on their qualifications(Waugh et al., 2014). In essence, the panel has to be experienced enough so that they can spot a viable employee. Most of the organizations remain as fair as possible by applying the equal opportunity clause to every candidate. Therefore, employers ensure that they do not discriminate on the grounds of sex, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, color, gender, disability, age, religion, or ethnic origin. Lastly, tests, at Massachusetts General Hospital are not included during the selection and recruitment process. Instead, the institution, just like the many others in the field consider prior experience, qualifications, and licensure. If they meet these criteria, they are suitablele candidates for the job position. Lens 2: Employee motivation and satisfaction The employees at Massachusetts General Hospital are highly motivated. Firstly, their job expectations have been met. For instance, it is the expectation of every employee that they have good remuneration coupled with outstanding benefits. The organization precisely provides these aspects to its employees. As mentioned earlier, Glassdoor (nd) asserts that the employees have good benefits packages, as well as providing them with a chance to advance their careers. As most of the workers assert, working at the facility is highly rewarding and intellectually stimulating. Most of them point out that they have a work-life balance. The staff profiles provided at the website, http://www.massgeneral.org/careers/staffprofiles/ (MGH, n.d), indicate high levels of motivation. The organization is helping the workers achieve their goals. For instance, Kendra Lehman, a Chief Nurse Practitioner at the Emergency Department Observation Unit asserts that she does what she has always dreamed of. Also, the employee relationships dictate that they are highly motivated. For instance, Chelsey Casasanta, a Medical Assistant points out that even after leaving her family at New Hampshire, she was able to create a working relationship with the IMA colleagues in Urgent Care. They are also provided with a fitness center among other wellness programs that ensure that their health is well taken care of. The implicit assumption of employee motivation at the facility is that the staff should have career advancement as well provision of a health fitness program. In addition, the employees should be well remunerated coupled with issuing benefits. These benefits are not limited to insurance, rather they also extent to areas such as paid leaves. Also, maintaining training options so that they better individual skills is also a factor that the organization considers. Besides, in accordance with the ERG theory, the employees are provided with a chance to grow, to relate and co-exist with each other positively (Lazaroiu, 2015). Also, the clarity in roles and responsibilities, couple with opportunity for growth, job control, and new daily challenges enable them to be highly motivated, which is in line with the two-factor theory. The organization also manages annual performance appraisals including goal-setting, manager evaluation, as well as self and peer evaluation. The motivation is organization-wide, and therefore, does not differ from supervisor to supervisor or division to division. For this reason, the organization follows a generalization strategy to motivate its employees regardless of whether they are nurses or assistant nurses, staff nurses or medical assistants. As such, the organization ensures that there is general satisfaction on the part of the employees. Therefore, most workers are satisfied with the organization. For instance, the organizationis recognized by AARP to be one of the top employer in the US for workers aged 50 and above (MGH, n.d). It shows that there is a high retention rate. Evidently, it implies that workers are satisfied and aim to retire at the organization (Lorber & Skela Savic, 2012). The institution also appears in the Scientist Magazine list of the best places to work. Also, it has already achieved a magnet status, thereby evidencing the fact that it grants excellence to nursing professionals. Conclusion As such, it can be concluded that the Massachusetts General Hospital provides excellent selection and recruitment, as well as motivation and satisfaction for its employees. In the selection and recruitment process, employees are provided with a job description and analysis capable of portraying the job title, summary of activities, job competencies, work context, compensation information, as well as tools and equipment used. As such, an individual applying for the position gets enough insight of the viable person for hire. Besides, the task statements have been clearly set for each job. The hiring process is transparent and pursues an equal opportunity for each candidate. On the motivation and satisfaction factors, the organization has adopted suitable measures. As according to Russo (2015), the Premack Principle asserts, different people are reinforced and motivated by diverse aspects. The organization has put in place various things, such as competitive pay, paid leaves, and breaks, thereby ensuring that the workers are highly motivated. Employees are treated fairly and in accordance with the equity theory. Also, the organization ensures that the employees are satisfied by adopting a career advancement approach as well as incorporating wellness programs at the institution. References Glassdoor. (2012). Massachusetts General Hospital - Busy but very rewarding and intellectually stimulating.Glassdoor. Retrieved from https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee- Review-Massachusetts-General-Hospital-RVW1386068.htm Lazaroiu, G. (2015). Employee Motivation and Job Performance. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, 14, 97. Lorber, M., & Skela Savič, B. (2012). Job satisfaction of nurses and identifying factors of job satisfaction in Slovenian Hospitals. Croatian medical journal, 53(3), 263-270. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). (n.d). Awards and Recognition - Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Massgeneral.org. Retrieved from http://www.massgeneral.org/careers/awards/ Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). (n.d). Staff Profiles - Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Massgeneral.org. Retrieved from http://www.massgeneral.org/careers/staffprofiles/ Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). (nd). Work/Life Benefits - Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Massgeneral.org. Retrieved from http://www.massgeneral.org/careers/worklifebenefits/ Russo, D. C. (2015). Pioneers in pediatric psychology: environments shape behavior. Journal of pediatric psychology, jsv003. Saxena, N., & Rai, H. (2015). The correlation effects between recruitment, selection, training, development and employee stress, satisfaction and commitment: findings from a survey of 30 hospitals in India. International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 15(2), 142-161. Waugh, A., Smith, D., Horsburgh, D., & Gray, M. (2014). Towards a values-based person specification for recruitment of compassionate nursing and midwifery candidates: A study of registered and student nurses' and midwives' perceptions of prerequisite attributes and key skills. Nurse education today, 34(9), 1190-1195. Read More