A healthy work environment (HWE) optimizes the health and well-being of nurses and is essential to maintaining a stable and sufficient nursing workforce. Efforts to establish a HWE lead to a safe, satisfying, and empowering workplace that results in improved performance and productivity, higher quality of patient care, and financial viability of the healthcare organization. This program explores the perspectives and frameworks of healthy work environments offered by several authoritative bodies, such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the World Health Organization, the American Nurses Association, the National Academy of Medicine, and The Joint Commission. You'll learn what constitutes a healthy work environment, as well as the advantages it brings. You'll also be taught how to navigate the challenges to achieving a healthy work environment and explore ways to assess the health of your workplace. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to learn from the real-world examples of Sigma Healthy Work Environment Award winners with recommendations of how the lessons they learned can be applied to foster and sustain a healthy work environment in your own healthcare setting.
COURSE PARTS:
- Models for a Healthy Work Environment
- Exploring the Standards for a Healthy Work Environment
- Implementation Strategies and Opportunities for Healthy Work Environment (HWE) Initiatives
- The Journey Towards a Healthy Work Environment
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Models for a Healthy Work Environment
- Explain the essential attributes of a healthy work environment.
- Identify the common challenges and barriers faced when striving to create and maintain a healthy work environment.
- Analyze and assess the health of a healthcare workplace using various tools and methods to pinpoint areas for improvement.
- Compare and contrast the perspectives of various healthy work environment frameworks.
- Utilize additional resources to develop an action plan for implementing best practices and fostering a sustained healthy work environment within a healthcare setting.
Exploring the Standards for a Healthy Work Environment
- Describe the importance of a healthy work environment to nurse well-being, patient outcomes, organizational health, and the stability of the global healthcare workforce.
- Identify and describe the six essential standards of the AACN healthy work environment framework and their impact on nurse, patient, and organizational outcomes.
- Understand the individual behaviors and organizational processes necessary for successful implementation of each of the six standards.
- Apply AACN’s six essential standards to improve work environment health in your own practice area.
Implementation Strategies and Opportunities for Healthy Work Environment (HWE) Initiatives
- Recognize the key factors and benefits of successful implementation of healthy work environment initiatives.
- Describe steps in implementing healthy work environment initiatives based on selected models/ frameworks.
- Identify potential resources and funding opportunities to support healthy work environment initiatives.
The Journey Towards a Healthy Work Environment
- Discuss Sigma’s awards to recognize healthy work environments.
- Explore exemplars of organizations who have created healthy work environments.
- Align exemplar cases with healthy work environment frameworks.
- Identify specific strategies that can be adapted into other work environments.
AUTHOR AND CONTENT REVIEWER BIOGRAPHIES
Sara Kaylor, EdD, RN, CNE
Dr. Sara K. Kaylor, EdD, RN, CNE is an Associate Professor at The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing. She has over 13 years of both graduate and undergraduate faculty experience, with teaching expertise in Health Assessment and Pharmacology (undergraduate), and Doctoral Seminars in Research. Her research interests center upon innovations in teaching, learning, and curricula design, and the role health/wellness behaviors play in promoting living, learning, and work environments.
Michelle Hehman, PhD, RN, NPD-BC
Michelle C. Hehman is a nurse scientist and nurse historian at Houston Methodist Hospital whose broad program of research includes nursing and healthcare history, healthy work environments, and the impact of nurse-technology partnerships on nursing practice. Dr. Hehman serves as associate editor of Nursing History Review, the official journal of the American Association for the History of Nursing and coauthored the award-winning textbook "History of Professional Nursing in the United States: Toward a Culture of Health."
Michael Joseph Diño, PhD, MAN, RN, LPT, FAAN, FFNMRCSI, ANEF
Michael Joseph Diño is a multi-awarded nurse leader, educator, and scientist with nearly two decades of experience. He holds PhDs in Development Studies and Nursing and serves on numerous editorial and review boards. His research spans gerontology, education, health informatics, and advanced technology like robotics, human-computer interaction, mixed reality, and AI. He is the Past President of Phi Gamma Chapter, Sigma's only virtual chapter, and the Research, Development, and Innovation Director at Our Lady of Fatima University, Philippines.
Megan Lippe, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Dr. Megan Lippe is an Associate Professor with tenure and palliative care expert. She is a national leader for palliative nursing care education with published works in areas related to palliative care education, simulation, interprofessional education, and social justice.
