Healthy Work Environments

1. Ferris NURS 320 Practice Standards Assignment, Nov 2011 Laura Zwagerman, Cheryl Howard, Jessica Behrenwald Healthy Work Environments AACN Standards Final Grade

2. Background • In 2001, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (ACCN) made a commitment to promote & create healthy work environments. • In 2005, six essential standards for establishing and sustaining healthy work environments were established by the ACCN as a part of a call to action (AACN Standards, 2005).

3. Healthy Work Environments • Healthy work environments support and foster excellence in patient care • Unhealthy work environments contribute to medical errors, ineffective delivery of care & stress among health professionals. • AACN standards for establishing and sustaining healthy work environment are in the areas of communication, collaboration, decision-making, staffing, recognition & leadership (AACN Standards, 2005).

4. #1 Skilled Communication

5. #1 Skilled Communication Application to practice:

6. #2 True Collaboration

7. #2 True Collaboration Application to practice:

8. #3 Effective Decision Making

9. #3 Effective Decision Making Application to practice:

10. #4 Appropriate Staffing

11. #4 Appropriate Staffing Application to practice:

12. #5 Meaningful Recognition

13. #5 Meaningful Recognition Application to practice:

14. #6 Authentic Leadership

15. #6 Authentic Leadership Application to practice:

16. Interdependence of Healthy Work Environment, Clinical Excellence & Optimal Patient Outcomes (AACN Standards, 2005, p.14). Summary AACN Healthy Work Environment Standards will: • reaffirm that safe and respectful environments are imperative • provide a functional yardstick for performance and development of individuals, units,organizations and systems. • support the nine provisions of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics forNurses • provide a framework to assist nurses in upholding their obligation to practice in ways consistentwith appropriate ethical behavior • assure that acute and criticalcare nurses have the skills, resources, accountability and authority to make decisions that ensure excellentprofessional nursing practice and optimal care for patients and their families (AACN Standards, 2005, p.13).

17. References AACN standards for establishing and sustaining healthy work environments. (2005). Retrieved November 21, 2011, from American Association of Critical-Care Nurses website: http://www.aacn.org/‌WD/‌HWE/‌Docs/‌HWEStandards.pdf