190 unit 3 | Professional Issues
many nurses worked with the ANA to provide sup-
port for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Your importance in emergency readiness and
bioterrorism is important. Following are some sug-
gestions for steps that can be implemented in the
workplace (awhonn.org/HealthPolicyLegislative/
BIOTERRORISMPREPAREDNESS/
bioterrorismpreparedness):
■Know the evacuation procedures and routes in
your facility.
■Develop your knowledge of the most likely and
dangerous biochemical agents.
■Monitor for unusual disease patterns, and notify
appropriate authorities as needed.
■Know the backup systems available for commu-
nication and staffing in the event of emergencies.
■Know the disaster policies and procedures in
your facility as well as state and federal laws that
pertain to licensed personnel.
Enhancing the Quality of Work Life
Both the social and physical aspects of a workplace
can affect the way in which people work and how
they feel about their jobs. The social aspects include
working relationships, a climate that allows growth
and creativity, and cultural diversity.
Social Environment
Working Relationships
Many aspects of the social environment received
attention in earlier chapters. Team building, com-
municating effectively, and developing leadership
skills are essential to the development of working
relationships. The day-to-day interactions with
one’s peers and supervisors have a major impact on
the quality of the workplace environment.
Support of One’s Peers and Supervisors
Most employees feel keenly the difference between
a supportive and a nonsupportive environment:
Ms. B. came to work already tired. Her baby was
sick and had been awake most of the night. Her
team expressed concern about the baby when she told
them she had a diff icult night. Each team member
voluntarily took an extra patient so that Ms. B.
could have a lighter assignment that day. When Ms.
B. expressed her appreciation,her team leader said,
“We know you would do the same for us.” Ms. B.
worked in a supportive environment.Ms. G. came to work after a sleepless night. Her
young son had been diagnosed with leukemia, and
she was very worried about him. When she men-
tioned her concerns, her team leader interrupted her,
saying, “Please leave your personal problems at
home. We have a lot of work to do, and we expect
you to do your share.” Ms. G. worked in a nonsup-
portive environment.
Support from peers and supervisors involves pro-
fessional concerns as well as personal ones. In a
supportive environment, people are willing to make
difficult decisions, take risks, and “go the extra
mile” for team members and the organization. In
contrast, in a nonsupportive environment, members
are afraid to take risks, avoid making decisions, and
usually limit their commitment.Involvement in Decision Making
The importance of having a voice in the decisions
made about one’s work and patients cannot be
overstated. Empowerment is a related phenome-
non. It is a sense of having both the ability and the
opportunity to act effectively (Kramer &
Schmalenberg, 1993). Empowerment is the oppo-
site of apathy and powerlessness. Many actions can
be taken to empower nurses: remove barriers to
their autonomy and to their participation in deci-
sion making, publicly express confidence in their
capability and value, reward initiative and assertive-
ness, and provide role models who demonstrate
confidence and competence. The following illus-
trates the difference between empowerment and
powerlessness:
Soon after completing orientation, Nurse A heard a
new nurse aide scolding a patient for soiling the bed.
Nurse A did not know how incidents of potential
verbal abuse were handled in this institution, so she
reported it to the nurse manager. The nurse manager
asked Nurse A several questions and thanked her for
the information. The new aide was counseled
immediately after their meeting. Nurse A noticed a
positive change in the aide’s manner with patients
after this incident. Nurse A felt good about having
contributed to a more effective patient care team.
Nurse A felt empowered and will take action again
when another occasion arises.
A colleague of Nurse B was an instructor at a
community college. This colleague asked Nurse B if
students would be welcome on her unit. “Of course,”
replied Nurse B. “I’ll speak with my head nurse