Working with Multigenerational Age Groups in the Nursing Practice - Term Paper Example

Running head: Multigenerational age groups Working with Multigenerational Age Groups in the Nursing Practice (school) Working with Multigenerational Age Groups in Nursing Introduction There are various issues that nurses encounter in their practice. These issues often affect the quality of the services they render as well as the health outcomes for their patients. The nursing practice is rich and dynamic in its elements and applications. The practice is also filled with generation, language, and cultural gaps among co-workers and fellow nurses. Such gaps end up dictating the smooth flow of services and the quality of nursing care for the patients. This paper shall discuss the gaps between the older and the younger nurses in the practice and the different advantages and disadvantages of working with such groups. This study is being undertaken in order to establish a comprehensive understanding of the nursing practice and the advantages and disadvantages of these nursing issues in the delivery of health services. Positive elements of the issue Working with older and younger nurses or the generation X and the generation Y or the millennial generation can be advantageous to the nursing practice. For one, working with older nurses is advantageous because older nurses have a wealth of experience and training which is unparalleled by any other generation. Their years of working as nurses has made them adept in their duties and has given them sharper instincts in the administration of appropriate care for their patients (Hinshaw & O’Grady, 2010). There is a more instinctual and intuitive process involved in the nursing process applied by older nurses. As described by Benner (as cited by Nies & McEwen, 2001, p. 779), intuitive abilities are “responses that expert nurses have after several years of experience and these abilities enable the nurse to read between the lines”. This intuition serves older nurses well and ultimately helps to ensure better patient outcomes. Older nurses, as compared to their younger counterparts, seem to exemplify more dedication to their career as nurses. Observations made on the work ethics of older nurses reveal how these nurses possess qualities which are not apparent among younger nurses, more particularly, the qualities of courtesy and commitment (Watson, Manthorpe, & Andrews, 2003). Moreover, many employers have taken up the practice of retaining more of their older nurses because they are generally “more polite, they are more committed…and they turn up to work every day” (Watson, Manthorpe, & Andrews, 2003, p. 22). And with this commitment and courtesy, the patients often feel more at ease with these older nurses. Sherman (2006) also described the older generation of nurses to have grown up in a healthy post-war economy where nuclear families were the norm. This generation was encouraged to express itself creatively and to maintain its individualism. This generation currently occupies the largest number in the nursing workforce. They are also known for their “strong work ethic, and work has been a defining part of both their self worth and their evaluation of others” (Sherman, 2006). Although many of them are nearing their retirement age, many of them can be easily encouraged to stay for longer and to return to work even after their retirement. Moreover, this generation is also more likely to not change or shift professions as they grow older (Nursing Times, 2008). There is a better possibility of retaining older nurses in the practice. This retention is an important consideration in the current issues and trends involving nursing shortage. With these older nurses coming out of retirement and retaining their current professions, the shortage in the practice can be less of an issue. Working with the younger generation or the generation Y in the nursing practice is advantageous in the sense that they are more open to and engaged in the latest technological advancements in the nursing practice. “Younger nurses have fresher, cutting-edge knowledge…Seasoned nurses have grown up with some of the technology in health-care, computerization is something younger nurses are much better prepared for?...Younger nurses have grown up with computers, and seasoned nurses would do well to use that knowledge” (McKinley, 2004, p. 8). Most times when adults have computer issues, they call on their children or on younger individuals to resolve these issues for them. In the current practice, most of the nursing processes, like charting, medication administration and computation, and health care coordination are already computerized or digitized. Such digitized processes are already incorporated into the nursing students’ current education curriculum. When they graduate from school, they are ready to apply such new technology in their practice. There is no need to retrain these younger nurses in the application of new technologies and practices (McKinley, 2004). Sherman (2006) also discussed how the generation Y or the younger generation of nurses is the second largest generation in the nursing practice. They have been immersed and raised in an environment where violence, terrorism, and drugs have become a reality. They have also been immersed in a multicultural and globalized society, especially one where instant communication and technology has already been a major constant in their lives (Sherman, 2006). Younger generations of nurses, in contrast to their older counterparts are therefore more adept in this technology-driven and globalized nursing practice. It is also important to note that in recent years, many younger nurses have taken an interest in entering the nursing practice, thereby increasing applications to the nursing programs (Sherman, 2006). Although their numbers are still small, their number is growing and is set to impact more significantly to the nursing practice in the coming years. Considering the above advantages in working with generation X and Y, it is generally good nursing practice to master how each generation works in order to avoid conflicts or generation gaps in the workplace (Larson, 2008). By exploring the strengths of the generations involved, it is possible to minimize conflicts and, instead, to maximize their nursing skills. For example, older nurses “tend to see their work as an extension of themselves; they live to work and they often sacrifice a lot for work, and they resent it when they see people who don’t seem to do the same” (Larson, 2008). This conflicts with the attitudes of the younger generations who may sometimes see work in relation to having fun. But, when the skills of these age groups are utilized, their opposing qualities can still create formidable nursing practice. Negative elements/elements of the trend The disadvantages of working with older nurses primarily stem from the fact that older nurses seem to be more interested in their retirement plans (Marriner-Tomey, 2004). These nurses are anticipating an end to their practice; and they are ready to work less and to render shorter work hours. Consequently, they are also less likely to be motivated about learning new things about their practice. These nurses are also prone to sick days and can sometimes be inflexible about the way they do things in the practice (Schulmeister, 2010). In a Medscape survey inquiring nurses on how they felt about working with nurses over 65 years of age, about 67% responded positively; 13% however responded in the negative; and 20% said that it depended on the nurse (Schulmeister, 2010). Some patients also expressed that they did not want older nurses to care for them because these nurses could not help in crisis situations; had major difficulties in adjusting to the computer system; had compromised cognitive skills; had slower response times; and were sometimes nowhere to be found during emergency situations (Schulmeister, 2010). For which reason, younger nurses were often preferred by other patients. Just as having older nurses in the practice has its disadvantages, having younger nurses can also be a disadvantage in the practice because younger nurses may have trouble relating to patients near their age. These patients may not feel that they can muster any confidence from the young nurse’s skills (Rosdahl & Kowalski, 2008). In effect, for some patients, younger and less experienced nurses may not be able to effectively achieve improved patient outcomes. Younger nurses are also more likely to search for opportunities to attain advanced training and education in order to make themselves more marketable in the nursing profession. These nurses are also likely to expect positive feedback for their efforts to improve their skills (Cherry & Jacob, 2005). They also expect their managers to notice and acknowledge their achievements and improved skills. However, most managers are not aware of such emerging trends among younger nurses and consequently they “contribute to the hastened exit from the workplace by not attending to their personal and career needs” (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p. 270). In the end, these nurses and their career-advancement focus in the practice becomes a counter-productive enterprise, eventually contributing to the worsening nursing shortage problem. Working with older and younger nurses in the nursing practice has its disadvantages. For one, it is a major challenge for managers to manage these two age groups in the same practice. The younger generations would be attracted to the various technologies available to them in the nursing practice. Most hospitals these days are full of the latest technologies and innovations. With these technologies however, younger nurses would still seek the fun and lighter side of the nursing practice. Moreover, “the serious, overworked, and frustrated demeanor of many older colleagues is a turn-off to younger workers who do not plan to stay more than 2 or 3 years at any institution anyway” (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p. 271). In effect, these younger nurses just want to learn what they can, and then move on to better work situations in different hospitals. Hospitals find issue with this and label it as a lack of loyalty on the part of the nurses. Managers are now greatly challenged to create a work environment which provides adequate opportunities to the younger nurses, enough to satisfy their advancing work goals. In effect, “managing multiple generations and various cultures within one setting is a great challenge for today’s health care managers” (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p. 271). Consequently, the nursing practice is now seen more as a major career advancement opportunity, not as a means of primarily rendering care to patients. It is also difficult to manage a multigenerational nursing workforce because the older nurses, due to their long years of nursing service are already tired and have little patience for the opposing work ethics and values often displayed by younger nurses (Finkelman & Keller, 2010). Most of the younger nurses who see this lack of patience from the older nurses worry about themselves and how they would perform in the nursing profession. As a result, the younger nurses end up complaining about the lack of support from older nurses; they complain that these older nurses do not want to work with them in their units and are unwilling to guide them in the practice (Finkelman & Keller, 2010). For managers who are unable to resolve this issue immediately, major issues in the delivery of healthcare would likely cause problems and workplace conflicts. In effect, the younger nurses are disdainful of the work ethics of older nurses; and on the other side, older nurses resent the lack of work commitment among younger nurses (Miles & Furino, 2006). Seniority and wage differences and structures can also cause conflicts among these older and younger nurses. The usual trend in the practice is that wages often rise at a regular pace during the first few years in the practice and then reach a plateau (Miles & Furino, 2006). The older nurses also note that their wages do not seem to be changing, but the younger nurses are being offered signing bonuses, payments for student loans, and higher wages. In the same vein, younger nurses resent older nurses for receiving higher wages “when they are perceived as less able to deal with the rigors of the workplace” (Miles & Furino, 2006, p. 74). All in all, these qualities in the nursing practice make for a challenging work environment for older and younger nurses and a managerial overload for nurse administrators. Task Force The establishment of a national task force in order to resolve this issue is an important consideration. The national task force that can be established for this issue needs to be set up by different nurse leaders. These nurse leaders first need to carry out an inventory of their workforce in order to determine the number and the characteristics of the intergenerational mix, age profile and issues of the team (Sherman, 2006). There is a need for these leaders to consider individual employee needs and differences within each generation and how such needs and differences can be accommodated in coaching, motivating, communicating, and resolving conflicts and eventually ensuring retention (Sherman, 2006). In the establishment of a task force to resolve the issues in the workforce, the nurse managers need to coach and motivate the different generations to stay within the practice. The coaching and motivation has to be based on each generation’s qualities and preferences. This task force has to set up coaching and motivation details to meet the needs of older nurses who may be more comfortable with a traditional coaching style (Sherman, 2006). It is important for nurse managers to remember that older nurses value seniority and experience; personal touches, such as plaques and pictures with positions or titles would therefore help put across the message that they are valued (Sherman, 2006). The younger nurses on the other hand would benefit well from coaching and mentoring more than their older counterparts. They would thrive in an optimistic and goal-oriented environment, as well as one with structure and guidance. Internships and formalized training would therefore be effective programs to integrate within the task force for this age group (Sherman, 2006). An important component which can be built up within the task force and among nurse managers is communication. “Sensitivity to communication differences and preferences across generations can help build gaps and create unique solutions that appeal to each generational belief system” (Cran, as cited by Sherman, 2006). Older nurses value communication built on inclusion and trust; therefore, they prefer personal face-to-face contact, rather than contact fueled by technology. On the other hand, younger nurses would prefer communication through instant messages and cellular phones. They seek immediate feedback and they tend to get turned off by prolonged feedbacks from email messages (Sherman, 2006). Finally, conflict resolution within this task force is a crucial challenge for nurse managers because each generation has its own set of values and attitudes and differences potentially create conflicts in the workplace. The younger generations do respect the achievements of the older nurses, however, they also yearn more for a work-social life balance. As a result, they are not likely to agree to overtime work or schedule changes in order to accommodate their work units (Sherman, 2006). It is therefore important for nurse managers to educate the different age groups about the issues involved in managing the different generations. In so doing, it is possible to enforce respect and tolerance for all generations (Sherman, 2006). And by knowing how to maximize the talents and abilities of the different age groups, it is possible to prevent workplace conflicts. Therefore, the needs of each group must be met and acknowledged. “When each generation is appreciated for the strengths they bring to the team, generational diversity will lead to synergy that brings the team to a much higher level of performance” (Sherman, 2006). In the end, with different generations working well with each other, better patient outcomes can be achieved. Works Cited Cherry, B. & Jacob, S. (2005) Contemporary nursing: issues, trends, & management. Missouri: Elsevier Mosby Finkelman, A. & Kenner, C. (2010) Professional Nursing Concepts: Competencies for Quality Leadership. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Hinshaw, A. & Grady, P. (2010) Shaping Health Policy Through Nursing Research. New York: Springer. Larson, J. (2008) Exploring the Generation Gap in the Nursing Workforce. Nurse Zone. Retrieved 03 November 2010 from http://www.nursezone.com/nursing-news-events/more-features/Exploring-the-Generation-Gap-in-the-Nursing-Workforce_20580.aspx Marriner-Tomey, A. (2004) Guide to nursing management and leadership. Missouri: Elsevier Mosby McKinley, M. (2004) Guest Editorial: A Mentor Gap in Nursing? Critical Care Nurse, volume 24, pp. 8-11 Miles, T. & Furino, A. (2006) Annual Review of Gerontology And Geriatrics: Aging Health Care Workforce Issues. New York: Springer Nies, M. & McEwen, M. (2001) Community health nursing: promoting the health of populations. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences Rosdahl, C. & Kowalski, M. (2008) Textbook of basic nursing. Philadelphia: Williams & Wilkins Schulmeister, L. (2010) Older Nurses in the Workforce. American Journal of Managed Care. Retrieved 03 November 2010 from http://www.hcplive.com/publications/oncng-OncologyNursing/2010/February2010/Older_Nurses_0210 Sherman, R. (2006) Leading a Multigenerational Nursing Workforce: Issues, Challenges and Strategies. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, volume 11, number 2, manuscript 2 Watson, R., Manthorpe, J., & Andrews, J. 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