Happiness is More Than Skin Deep; Implementation of Strategies to Improve Work Environment

Purpose:
Recognition and appreciation notably impact the work environment. Employee satisfaction results identified communication and moral as concerns for the Dermatology Division. The division's interprofessional leadership team developed an innovative plan to engage employees in workplace improvements.

Significance:
Happier employees impact productivity, creativity, patient care, satisfaction and retention. By improving employee perceptions of recognition, appreciation and communication, the culture of the department could transform the work environment and improve outcomes for both patients and the staff.

Strategy and Implementation:
A team member presented an idea based on Gretchen Rubin's book “The Happiness Project”. Recognizing that concepts from the book could improve moral, co-worker relations and employee appreciation, leadership provided a copy to all staff who agreed to a one-year commitment and three projects: CARE: Connect, Appreciate, Recognize and Express focuses on staff appreciation and communication. Employee birthdays are recognized with personal notes and treats. A weekly newsletter was created to improve communication. COPE: Create the Optimal Patient Experience centers on patient perceptions. Survey cards are distributed to families asking “Did we make you happy today?" Leadership and employees review patient satisfaction results and engage in resolving issues. WE ROCK: Reach Out to the Community with Kindness expands the project to the community. The division adopts families for Christmas, collects clothing and provides outreach education at schools.

Evaluation:
Employees were surveyed prior to program implementation and 1 year post-implementation. Results of the survey demonstrated improvements in staff satisfaction, increasing feeling appreciated by coworkers from 3.94 to 4.37 and satisfaction in current role from 4.03 to 4.52 on a 5-point Likert Scale.

Implications for Practice:
Engaging employees in the evaluation of workplace issues is essential in the transformation of the culture of the work environment. Through interprofessional collaboration, innovative strategies can be implemented that are meaningful and effective to individuals across the department.