The Power of Recognition: Celebrating Your Staff's Achievements

Gone are the days when you could throw a pizza party for your nursing team and expect everyone to walk away feeling appreciated. Staffing is complex and directly linked to your nursing home’s performance and patient outcomes. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who work for employers with strong employee recognition programs anchored in appreciation and gratitude often report higher job satisfaction and increased employee engagement. 

Let’s explore the importance of employee recognition in healthcare and why your facility needs to prioritize employee engagement and recognition. 

High Cost of Neglecting Recognition

Healthcare workers must have an ample supply of compassion and empathy. Job demands such as excessive workloads, limited say in scheduling, and feeling a lack of organizational support can lead to burnout and turnover. Burnout is a complex state characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and a poor attitude towards others and the workplace. This condition begins by affecting the workers themselves, but slowly impacts how they care for others. Feeling undervalued at work significantly contributes to burnout and low job satisfaction. 

Healthcare workers are 40% more likely to report never being recognized at work compared to other industries. This lack of recognition can lead to burnout, making it harder for patients and residents to get the care they need, increasing healthcare costs, and worsening health disparities.

Employee well-being shouldn’t be an afterthought for nursing home administrators and other executives, but rather the first thing you consider when you need to lower turnover rates and increase employee satisfaction. 

Positive Impact of Meaningful Recognition

CNAs who feel recognized and appreciated can help foster an overall workforce culture of gratitude. Walking into work knowing that residents, co-workers, and leadership will openly thank them for their hard work and dedication will increase employee engagement and job satisfaction, and even go a long way to making the hardest shifts meaningful. Once nurse aides feel appreciated, they will be less likely to look for other jobs, boosting CNA retention. Feeling valued contributes to improved workforce morale, increased teamwork, and ultimately, better care outcomes for your residents. 

Other positive benefits of meaningful recognition include:

• Improved patient and resident care
• Increased employee retention
• Enhanced employee well-being
• Easier talent acquisition

Practical Ways to Celebrate Your Staff 

Now that you know why you should implement an employee recognition program, let’s cover some practical ways to celebrate. 

Celebrating your staff isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Like every nursing facility has a unique culture, you must create an individualized employee recognition program that meets your staff’s needs and desires. Here are a few of the best actionable examples of employee recognition programs you can use to show your CNAs appreciation and gratitude daily. 

• A Simple Thank You Note - Never underestimate the power of a heartfelt thank you. Keep a pack of note cards in your office and take 10 minutes each week to send a handwritten note to a staff member who went above and beyond. 
• Public Acknowledgments - Take a few minutes in every team meeting to recognize staff achievements. Don’t forget to keep track of compliments from residents and their families so you can acknowledge these staff members in front of their peers. 
• Small Tokens of Appreciation - You don’t have to give large bonuses to make someone feel appreciated. Keep a stack of gift cards and other small tokens of appreciation you can use when you want to acknowledge a staff member for their exceptional work. 
• An Extra Day Off - Everyone loves an extra day of vacation. So, consider rewarding a high performer with an additional day of PTO. 
• Professional Development and Advancement - One of the most impactful ways to recognize staff who go above and beyond is to consider them for professional development and advancement opportunities. When you have new roles or training opportunities, consider your high performers first and invest in their professional development.
• Allow Individual Units to Create Mini-Programs - Sometimes, large-scale employee recognition programs are challenging because staff aren’t all together often. However, empowering every unit manager to create and implement mini-programs can keep the momentum going without the large lift. 
•  Promote Wellness - Many CNAs report burnout, stress, anxiety, and poor coping mechanisms. So, investing in their physical and mental well-being by giving away therapy sessions, stipends for gym memberships, and other wellness incentives can go a long way in prioritizing employee well-being. 

Launching Your Employee Recognition Program

Consistent and meaningful employee recognition is not just a “nice-to-have” or something you only do once a year during National CNA Week. It’s a crucial strategy for every thriving healthcare organization. Employee recognition programs require intention, planning, and execution. Use this list of practical ways to recognize your staff, celebrate their achievement, and improve employee engagement, retention, and overall well-being.