In last month’s column, I wrote about how leader development is shifting. Many have traditionally used foundational group training (LDIs) as the center of their leader development. Now, more organizations are viewing LDIs as a valuable starting point; however, they’re then moving on to develop people in tailored, personalized ways. At Healthcare Plus Solutions Group®, we call this approach Precision Leader Development™ (PLD), and it’s just one of the methods and practices that organizations are looking to rewire in response to a rapidly shifting environment.
Today, I want to take the PLD discussion to a new level and, simultaneously, connect it to another area that needs rewiring: retention.
It’s no secret healthcare workers want training and development. The recent Models of Care Insight Study we conducted with the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), and Joslin Insight confirmed this. It found that 92 percent of leaders feel staff nurses would be interested in meaningful career or professional development. (This was not exactly a surprise.) Yet when all respondents (not just leaders) were asked if their organization actively promotes meaningful career or professional development, more than half of them (52 percent) answered no. (Visit https://healthcareplussg.com/research/ to see full results of the study.)
It stands to reason that organizations that recognize and remedy this disconnect will have an edge in retaining great nurses. The good news is that some are getting intentional about fixing their development shortfall.
Recently, when our partner Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma (part of Ardent Health), began deploying Precision Leader Development for managers and above, they saw an opportunity to take a very innovative approach to leadership training. Through their Nursing Practice Council, they start training nurses before they’re ready to step into a leadership role.
Carla Yost, their chief nursing officer, saw an opportunity to really hit the “people trifecta”: retention, belonging, and development. She and Director of Nursing for Workforce Development Dannette Staples have recently launched what they call Frontline Leadership Development, with a specific focus on developing charge nurses in their crucial roles. (Incidentally, the Models of Care Insight Study confirmed that charge nurses, more than ever, play a critical role in care delivery and daily nursing operations.) The first sessions have already been filled to capacity.
The support of senior leaders is pivotal to the success of any initiative. That’s why we were thrilled that Hillcrest’s program was launched with the wholesale support of their CEO Xavier Villarreal. In fact, he was featured as one of the faculty in the very first development session. He said, in essence, “I want them to hear it directly from me.”
This is a smart move. Besides building their bench, getting people excited about training and development, and in general creating a well-run organization, it has major implications for retention. We all know nurses have tons of options. By investing in them early on, Hillcrest is telling them, “We believe in you and see a bright future for you. We want you to stay.” It creates a sense of belonging and ownership and, hopefully, improves the odds that these nurses will want to stay with Hillcrest.
When you think about it, the fact that this approach is so unique raises a question: Wouldn’t it be great if more healthcare organizations began developing their frontline team from the beginning rather than waiting until they “officially” become leaders? Hopefully more organizations will follow Hillcrest’s example.
We know that today’s workforce wants to be invested in. They want us to help them be successful. The sooner we make that promise to them—and fulfill it—the better.
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Dan Collard is the cofounder (with Quint Studer) of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group® (HPSG). He is the coauthor (with Quint Studer) of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired. For more information, please visit www.healthcareplussg.com.