Creating Joy and Meaning

On Thursday, April 18, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation provided a platform for hospitals to recognize their workforce through nominations to The Employee of the Year Luncheon. Opportunities for recognition beyond length of service are important in creating joy and meaning.

In a recent report from the National Patient Safety Foundation and the Lucian Leape Institute, “Through the Eyes of the Workforce: Creating Joy, Meaning, and Safer Health Care,” recognizing and celebrating workforce accomplishments with high visibility is one strategy recommended to improve patient safety and outcomes. This roundtable refers to Paul O’Neill, former chairman/CEO of Alcoa, who made staff safety paramount. In a prior roundtable he also challenged organizations to ask three questions of their workforce to determine excellence:

1. Am I treated with dignity and respect by everyone, every day, in each encounter, without regard to race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, title, pay grade or number of degrees?

2. Do I have what I need, including education, training, tools, financial support and encouragement, so I can make a contribution to this organization that gives
meaning to my life?

3. Am I recognized and thanked for what I do?

Thank you for sharing your inspirational stories which demonstrate joy and meaning by our regional hospital workforce. You are appreciated!

Joy and meaning will be created when the workforce feels valued, safe from harm and part of the solutions for change.