Cultural Norms
All people are practicing particular cultural norms that define the way they act, even without realizing it. These are some guidelines that limit the way individuals communicate with one another, dress, or behave. All societies have their cultural norms that have something in common but also differ greatly. Particular groups and populations can also have their norms. For example, in some schools, norms may include wearing a uniform, formal communication with teachers and informal with peers, taboos on swearing, annual celebrations, etc. They make students united; allow them to have shared experiences and views, which is critical for efficient communication.
Considering nationalities, Chinese people pay much attention to collectivism; they value hierarchy and age, find it advantageous to work at the same place for a long. These norms affect the way they behave while working and affect related decisions. It is critical, as following such norms, they can be appreciated in China, but they are not valued in the USA. Nursing workgroups or units also have particular cultural norms that can differ, depending on the organization and country. Still, the emphasis is often put on teamwork, use of problem-solving methodology, particular procedures for birth and death, and respect to a pecking order, etc. (Rovithis et al., 2016). They are vital to nurses, and they define the way they work (follow physicians’ orders, assist them, cooperate with healthcare professionals, wash and drape the body, etc.).
Positive Work Culture
The creation of a positive work culture starts with hiring people who have those values that are emphasized by the organization. The staff should have aligned values and behaviors, which will be a great basis for the group culture. Positive communication with consistent messages can help to develop trust-based relationships, encourage negotiation and motivate the workers. Receiving employee feedback is also vital.
Such a system allows to monitor the situation, consider what changes should be made and how they are accepted. In this way, the employees can feel understood and supported, which improves teamwork and enhances performance. The leader should clearly communicate organizational goals and vision for others to know how to act. One should also appreciate the staff for following them even with a simple “thank you” (Caryn, 2014).
Organizational Culture, Quality of Nursing Care, and Patient Outcomes
Organizational culture influences the way nurses and other healthcare professionals interact and treat patients (Scott, Mannion, Marshall, & Davies, 2003). In this way, positive alterations within the organization are likely to reduce turnover rates so that the nurses will obtain more experience and provide high-quality care to their patients, which is likely to enhance the recovering process. In this way, injuries in hospitals will also be rarely observed, as nurses will spend more time with the consumers. Efficient collaboration among the personal can reduce mortality and complication rates because they will assist each other.
Patient Outcomes, Nurses’ Safety, Culture, and Climate
Organizational culture and climate affect the quality of nursing enormously as well as patient outcomes. Safety is critical in healthcare facilities, and professionals are likely to value behaviors that improve it, such as washing hands often and interacting with patients wearing gloves. In this way, they protect both themselves and their clients from possible health issues. In the positive safety climate, they can be encouraged to report any errors faced, which ensures that problems can be solved without worsening the situation. By double-checking the medication given to a patient, nurses can avoid related errors and save one’s life. By providing maternity services following particular safety procedures, nurses can train their team skills and streamline the discharge (The health foundation, 2011).
Culture of Learning
Promoting the culture of learning is critical for the healthcare system because this sphere is constantly developing. Professionals should realize that their main task is to help patients. Thus, they need to be aware of the most efficient and effective treatment methods. In this way, it is critical for them to get to know all innovations that enter the field and not to be afraid to implement a change that is likely to improve the quality of care. Unfortunately, some nurses may believe that if they have always maintained particular operations, they are the best ones. Still, they should be ready to try something new, as it can bring more benefit to the patient and the team. It can be said that changes are the triggers of development. It is significant to be open to trying something new, as there is also an opportunity to get back to the previous practices.
Nurse Leaders’ Influence on Culture and Climate
Nurses take the initiatives to perform different roles. For example, some leadership skills are needed when one needs to change particular practices maintained daily, as performance improvement is not observed but required. Nurses may question the status quo, as they consider it to be not effective in a particular situation (Huber, 2014). Nurse leaders can affect culture and climate enormously, as they can define those areas that require changes. Moreover, they can provide interventions when the problems occur and prevent them from having an adverse influence on the staff and patient outcomes.
References
Caryn. (2014). How you can build a positive workplace culture. Web.
Huber, D. (2014). Leadership and nursing care management. St. Luis, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Rovithis, M., Linardakis, M., Rikos., N., Merkouris, A., Patiraki, E., & Philalithis, A. (2016). The organizational culture among nurses working in the public health sector on the island of Crete. Web.
Scott, T., Mannion, R., Marshall, M., & Davies, H. (2003). Does organizational culture influence health care performance? Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 8(2), 105-17.
The health foundation. (2011). Does improving safety culture affect patient outcomes? Web.