Engaged and motivated employees add to the productivity of an organization. Employees’ motivation and engagement are exceptionally essential during a crisis, for example, in a pandemic. More particularly, health practitioners such as nurses need to be engaged and motivated during such times, given the crucial role they play in managing the situation. According to Karen (2015), engaged employees are more productive, abide by safety measures and report lower absenteeism rates. Various researchers have published some of the practices that may help keep the staff motivated and engaged during a pandemic, such as the current COVID-19. Alhamadi et al. (2020) published some of the crucial practices that leaders in health settings should implement to keep their staff engaged and motivated. The authors based the recommendations on their personal experiences in hospital management, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The practices were listed as providing protection and taking care of the employees’ wellbeing, education and training, communication, and personal encouragement. The staff need physical, mental, and psychological wellbeing of the staff should be protected. The staff’s confidence in managing the pandemic could be boosted through regularly educating and training them on ways to manage the health situation. Nurse leaders and the staff should engage in open communication that allows sharing information and providing feedback. Such an approach ensures that the employees are apprised of the situation and offers them an opportunity to air their concerns. The employees’ engagement and motivation can also be bolstered by offering them guidance and personal encouragement concerning any issues that they may have.
Chanana and Sangeeta undertook research synthesis into staff engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided some of the practices deployed to keep staff motivated and engaged. Some of the notable practices included virtual employee meet-ups, providing online training, constantly appreciating the employees, and open communications. Such practices were found to be effective in keeping the staff engaged and increasing their morale. Aquilia et al. (2020) provided onsite exemplars of some of the practices that nurse leaders had used to keep staff engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the notable practices was the nurse leaders’ continuous onsite presence that provided the needed support to the staff and made them feel that they were not on their own in battling the pandemic.
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Discussion Questions
What is the role of virtual platforms in keeping staff engaged and motivated during a pandemic?
How does the onsite presence of nurse leaders help keep the staff engaged and motivated?
What are the most effective practices in keeping employees engaged and motivated during a pandemic?
How do employee engagement and motivation aid in the management of pandemics?
References
Alhammadi, S., Bartolo, A. M., Braga, V., Castela, E., Lahuerta-Valls, L., Obwaka, C., Rodriguez, O., Trummer, F., & Ulrich, K. (2020, September 3). Leadership challenges in maintaining staff engagement and motivation during COVID-19 . IHF - International Hospital Federation. https://www.ihf-fih.org/2020/09/03/maintaining-staff-engagement-and-motivation/
Aquilia, A., Grimley, K., Jacobs, B., Kosturko, M., Mansfield, J., Mathers, C., Parniawski, P., Wood, L., & Niederhauser, V. (2020). Nursing leadership during COVID-19: Enhancing patient, family and workforce experience. Patient Experience Journal , 7 (2), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.35680/2372-0247.1482
Chanana, N., & Sangeeta (2020). Employee engagement practices during COVID-19 lockdown. Journal of public affairs , e2508. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2508
Macauley, K. (2015). Employee engagement. Journal of Trauma Nursing , 22 (6), 298-300. https://doi.org/10.1097/jtn.0000000000000161
