Staff Empowerment Paper

Nursing homes across the country are revising their outlined plans and objectives to create a culture change. However, many are leaving out the crucial piece of strengthening staff. A staff empowerment program allows for organizations to train their direct-care workers in effective problem-solving, decision-making, and basic professional skills. A few of the ways staff empowerment can be implemented if through altered hiring and orientation practices, scheduling, leadership opportunities, or professional development programs. Fortunately, these components can combine to positively effect residents, staff, families of residents, and the overall organization. Despite concerns, the research proves that a staff empowerment program is an important

5). It is also important to note that strengthening staff comes from a place of developing relational bonds with other staff members and residents to deliver resident-centered care. When a strengthened staff is present, the direct-care workers can feel more confident and competent in their abilities to make decisions that reflect the resident’s best-interest without being afraid they will be reprimanded by higher administrative authority. At the same time, staff should be educated on the ability to treat residents as humans, rather than a product of disease or disability. The usage of strengthening staff would ultimately be more dependable for the institution, as well as the residents, families, and other staff

By investing in the staff of a care facility, it is improving the overall quality of the care, relationships, and organization.
Ideas on Implementation There are several ways an organization can begin to make changes in developing a plan to strengthen their staff. A few of these ways are through hiring and orientation practices, scheduling, leadership opportunities, and professional development. Through these methods, an organization can work towards improving staff attitudes and giving value and appreciation to the direct-care workers in the organization.
Hiring and Orientation Practices A method that has also been suggested to strengthen staff is through direct-care involvement in the hiring and orientation of new workers in the organization. By doing so, the staff can interject their opinions on the people who they feel would interact and perform the best with the residents in the organization. Rath, Conelison, and Gfeller (n.d.) stated that those direct-care workers who have been involvement in hiring practices have increased job retention and found a better fit for the specific area. In addition, the workers can assess the strengths and weaknesses of the preexisting team and fill them with the new employee (Rath et al., n.d.). Consequently, the entire direct-care staff can benefit by receiving the most qualified and necessarily individual, without any additional