Ideas That Work: Employee Empowerment

Looking for a more efficient way to put your OR team’s suggestions into day-to-day practice? First, make it easy for staff to share their process improvement ideas. Have staff write out the solutions they hope to achieve, the target implementation date and how they plan to make it happen. Then post the suggestions on a prominently displayed board. Next, have a dedicated team vet each idea based on how difficult the concept will be to implement and the overall impact it will make. The team can also help coach the staff member who submitted the idea through the process of making it happen. By making the suggestion process as simple as possible, and following through on a lot of your staff’s ideas, you’ll find the board overflowing with ways to improve the safety, quality and timeliness of patient care.

Kelly Stamps, MSN, RN, CNOR
Children's Mercy Kansas City
Kansas City, Mo.
[email protected]