Problem of Absenteeism - Essay Example

Absenteeism The problem of absenteeism among staff is a common difficulty, in health care situations as in other places, especially when there is aproblem in the organization, or when there is no active staff motivation plan. Such absence from work is both costly and disruptive in any organization. The situation is made worse when the care of ill patients is being compromised. It is always good to find out the root cause of the problem, instead of rushing to admonish or punish those staff who fail to report to work as scheduled. The staff, especially those long established and well qualified, are a very important resource in every organization. It is necessary that every member of an organization must be involved in dealing with the problem of absenteeism. Nyathi and , Jooste ( 2008) point out that, if absenteeism among nursing staff occurs, this puts a greater workload on the staff who do turn up, and so this leads to a downward spiral of stress on staff, and eventually even more absenteeism. Davey et al ( 2009) also considered this problem and concluded that :- Work environment factors that increase nurses job satisfaction, and reduce burnout and job stress need to be considered in managing staff nurse absenteeism. The authors mention factors such as” work attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment and work/job involvement) and retention factors,” but admit that in many cases reasons behind absenteeism are poorly understood. Managers, especially those who see staff every day such as ward managers, should know their staff so well that they are aware when any members of staff feel themselves to be under stress at work, as this which is identified as being a major factor in absenteeism. . Communication is important. Staff need to hear and understand the organization’s plans, goals, and objectives in order that they can uphold and protect them. The executive team is charged with the mandate of ensuring that when a new employee is hired, they are taken through the organization’s corporate vision. This will ensure that that person understands what the institution is like and its ethos. If everyone is told and understands fully what is expected of him or her, it is easier in the course of business to remind them of what is expected of them, whether with regard to being available when required, or with regard to some other matter. Slater and William (1996) describe how letting staff have a greater larger degree of control of rotas led to better communications between management and staff. It was also discovered that many nurses had not realized the impact their negative behavior was having both on the organization and their colleagues. It was also felt that if mention was made of absenteeism staff might feel that they were being picked on and this then resulted in worsening management—employee relationships. Health institutions offering nursing services must give priority to its own staff, letting them understand where the institution is heading. A people who is without direction remains unmotivated. Knowing the overall mission statement and vision gives a direction and objective, as well as clearly outlined plans of how to achieve the set goals. Engaging staff while formulating these goals is very important, for it encourages them to have a sense of ownership of the institution. This is a much more effective method than a top down directive. It gives them ownership of the ideas and allows staff to see that they also have the power to make a positive contribution towards the success of their own institution. Nurses often have solutions to solve their own work problems, but the management teams in some cases think that it is their role to solve all the problems of the people. Allowing workers to form their own unions , or the setting up of forums, can help them air their views. When anyone is employed they may focus at first on the salary obtained , but this changes over time , in an order called hierarchy of needs as described by Maslow in 1943. This begins with meeting basic needs and moves on up towards such things as improved self esteem. Every institution should ensure that nurses are given the freedom to form their own associations, so that their opinions may be heard equally as well as those of the executive team. When making critical decisions that affects the lives of all the staff, new shift rotas for instance, it is crucial to consult the staff through their unions and associations. Encouraging open two-way communication is another important factor to consider in situations such as this excessive absenteeism of staff. It is always good to embrace dialogue between the institution’s management team and the staff whenever a problem arises. A two-way communication is one the best ways of addressing issues where there are disagreements. In the past, the trend has just been for the executive team to pass information down to the junior employees and not the other way round. Every health institution must strive to ensure that it creates an enabling environment for the nurses to freely communicate with their seniors without any fear. Issues are resolved when people are willing to sit down face to face, and each group is willing to compromise for the sake of achieving a common ground. Hospital administrators must have the interests of the people in their care. When it comes to taking on new administrative staff they must ensure that those chosen will respect the opinions of junior employees, allowing their voices to be heard. It is common to see the managing director, nurse in charge, and other senior staff, use means such as memos, letters, e-mails and other forms of communication methods to give particular directions to the junior staff, but rarely do you see junior staff chatting with the executive personnel. There is need for leaders who can develop personal skills, and who are ready to interact with employees of every cadre in the institution. Staff who feel that their efforts are not appreciated are more likely to absent themselves. This has been described as a slow motion strike. Yet, obviously appreciated or not, the input that they make is paramount in ensuring service delivery at the right level in any health institution. The work of nurses is to provide care to the patients. When the self-esteem of such staff is low, they will feel that the administration is not recognizing their efforts. Positive communication is a simple yet crucial method of resolving conflicts. It is not always easy to understand why anyone is behaving the way they do until someone take an extra step of engaging that person in a conversation, so that they come to understand why he or she is behaving in that particular manner. There is no single person who is perfect, every man is prone to error and no one can satisfy all the needs of the staff, but through communication, people can discuss issues, and come up with viable solutions. The best solution is the one that comes from the group of persons affected, but their views can only be known by creating a mutual and friendly environment for dialogue. Compliance refers to the act of conforming to a given rule such as a standard, specification, guideline, protocol, policy, or law. This is from such things as hand washing to more complicated matters( Erasmus et al 2001). Staff are required to conform to such rules in order that a unit will be in the best possible position to achieve its objectives without any difficulty. It is therefore necessary that staff members are made aware of the relevant rules in order that they can comply with them. It is therefore crucial for all staff to conform to all the laws, policies, and standards required in order to ensure that services offered in the best possible way and as a result of this, our patients will become more and more satisfied with these necessary services that we are required to offer without discrimination. Absenteeism is usually a symptom of a more general malaise. Sometimes it may be due to a person’s particular circumstances, but if staff are supported and motivated and good communications are established then it should soon be a problem of the past. Works cited Davey, M., Cummings, G., Newburn-Cook and Lo.E., “Predictors of nurse absenteeism in hospitals: a systematic review.” Journal of Nursing Management ,2009 Apr;17(3):312-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00958.x., Web. March 22nd 2013, < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19426368> Erasmus,V., Daha, T.,Brug, H., Richardus, J.,Behrendt, M., Vos, M., van Beeck, E., Earl. M. et al. “Improved rates of compliance with hand antisepsis guidelines: a three-phase observational study. “American Journal of Nursing 2001;101(3):26-33. 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