NU 420 Week 5 Seminar
Joan Haizlip
Seasoned Nurses
• These kids todaythey are lazy
• All they want is praise
• They keep threatening to quit
• She looks like she is going to
cry
New Nurses
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She never smiles
She’s mean
She thinks she knows everything
Nurse ratchet!
Old, fat and out of date!
They need to force her out!
Issues in Nursing
• Payroll is generally the highest cost to any organization.
• Hiring is expensive- turnover is worse!
• Does your organization really have that kind of money?
• With turnover comes quality of care issues AND morale
• issues
Points to Keep in Mind!
Common experiences of each generation frequently
define their assumptions and perspectives
BUT
Never generalize from a few to the whole - there are
ALWAYS exceptions
Traditionalists
• Born between 1900 and 1945 (approx. 75 million)
• Loyal -- often found to have worked for only one
employer.
• Many of the men have military background and are
comfortable with a top-down management style.
• May be motivated by recognition in doing a job well done.
• Exhibit a strong work ethic that was shaped by the
Great Depression with an “onward and upward”
attitude.
Baby-Boomers
• Born 1946 and 1964 (approx. 80
million)
• Typically respond to symbols of
recognition: enhanced titles, more
money,special perks such as
parking spaces, and other status
symbols or symbols of peer
recognition.
• Optimistic and idealistic.
• As result of their large numbers,
tend to be extremely competitive
• Realize that they have spent too much of
their time working / may want to add
more balance to their lives / may feel new
generations need to put “their time in.”
Generation X
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Born between 1965 and 1980 (approx. 46 million)
Typically have little trust in the system.
Freedom is often perceived as ultimate work reward
Want training that enhances their skills, and
portability of benefits like 401Ks that can be taken
elsewhere.
• Characterized by skepticism, self focus, lack of
loyalty to employer.
• Has seen scandal effect of every institution from the
stock market to the presidency/ divorce rate tripled
during their lifetimes; informality and fun/work as a
means to an end and not an end in and of itself
Generation Y/ Millennials
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Born between 1981 and 1999 (approx. 75
million)
• Two in four come from a single parent
home
• Four in five have working mothers
Perceived as wanting to make a difference
and knowing that their work has value
If they question authority, it’s usually for
“moral” reasons
Characteristics: sociability, civic duty, and
morality.
Born with technology / adept at
multitasking Grown up with group
work, athletics and team sports, and
personal recognition
Workplace Conflict
• Often have generational issues at core even though
identified as personal:
• “She has a poor work ethic”
• “He is not committed to his job”
• Differing styles: team work vs. individual
• Newer generations “branded” as less motivated
• Do not understand why “lateness” is viewed as a bad
thing by a boomer for example
• Generation Y very committed to balancing work and
family
Differences between the
Generations
(*Eric Chester, Employing Generation Y)
Topic
Boomers
Loyalty to
Employer
I can work
I’ll work if I Jobs are a
my way to
have to
dime a
the top
dozen
Just because they
Is automatic Is polite
Respecting
Elders
Training
Gen X
Gen Y
are older - no
way!
Tell me what Show me
to do
HOW to do
it
WHY do I
need to learn
this?
Motivating Different
Generations
• Baby Boomers:
• Authority, prestige, status markers, professional
networking
• Work for work’s sake
• Generations X and Y:
• Work is means to an end
• Needs to be fun, special, flexible
• Teamwork and the “why” count
Managing Veterans
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How to Manage the Veteran(s) on Your Team:
Hard workers
Unique challenges
Dependable
May buck authority of younger managers
May be overbearing when directing others (remember the
"one right answer" tendency)
• Can get stuck in "we never did it that way before" way of
thinking
Managing Veterans
• If you're from a younger generation and in
charge
• Take time to learn about their background,
experiences, work preferences & personal
needs
• It will take time to earn their trust
• Respect does not come from one sitting
• Respect their experience; don't be
intimidated by it.
• If you were taught to "respect your elders" do
it, but remember; you are the boss for a
reason.
• Be honest; say the hard things when they
need to be said
Managing Boomers
• Prefer work environments that are:
• Democratic, humane, casual
• Advocated teams, team building, consensus, quality circles,
and participative management
• They know how to read people
• They are rapport builders
• If they can't BE the manager, the prefer one who
• Treats them as equals
• Allows them to be empowered to dabble
• Knows and cares for them personally
Managing Boomers
• Managing the Baby Boomer:
• Talents and needs are unique and special
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If they feel that you are "mismanaging" them; they will make
your life awful!
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Unlike Veterans; they refuse to suffer in silence—BUT, they
will not necessarily confront you directly.
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They are used to sharing with their peers (remember those
report cards!)
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They will make sure EVERYONE knows how unhappy they are!
Generation X
• Lost in the shadow of the boomers
• GenXers collective psyche became one of
survivorship.
• Can be summed up by the question "Just tell me;
is this going to be on the test?"
• This led some to believe that these kids didn't have
the "right stuff"
• How will this help me?
• Need hand holding
Generation X
(In Eyes of Boomers)
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Whiners
Slackers
Nuisances
Can't get it through their skulls that the workplace has
certain demands:
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Politeness
Punctuality
Teamwork
Respect
Proper attire
Hierarchy
Managing Xrs
• Xers CAN be motivated to work
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Flexible hours
Informal work environment
Just the "right" amount of supervision
BUTthey don't pay attention!!!
If you are looking for their "work ethic"
through a Veteran or
Boomer lens—forget it.
• Instead- give them tasks; a lot of them
AND some freedom as to how these
tasks can be accomplished. You will be
surprised by how much can get done—
while they walk
out the door at 5 pm!
Managing Xrs
• Their Leadership Style:
• Drawn to leadership positions for more altruistic reasons
than previous generations
• They do not see leadership as "magic"
• Leadership roles tend to "choose them"
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Tend to be:
Fair
Straightforward
Competent
Knowledgeable
Generation Yrs….Boomers Kids
• The generation was truly coddled•
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Spring breaks at Ft. Lauderdale
Vacations in Peurto Vallarta
Nice cars for school
Designer clothing (Gap, Old Navy, Others)
• Were NOT used to being told "NO!"
• Parents LOVED doing it
• Soccer moms- all life was arranged around the child's
athletic/social events
• Show up at school---volunteer
• Supervise science fair projects and essays & homework
Managing Yrs
• In the Work Place:
Remember—this all came from a lifetime of
telling these children how special they
werewe just never defined "why" they
were specialonly that they were.
• Many of the problems are being noted on
college campuses:
• I "deserve" an "A" because I am paying tuition.
• What do you mean I have to "work" for it?
• In many respects, their parents took away their
experience
• of failure.
• This set up unreasonable expectations that will
not be
• supported in the modern work place.
In considering the appropriate
staffing levels of health care
employees in your facility what
strategies can you undertake to
attract, interview, select, and hire
the right talent to give your
organization a competitive edge
over your competition?
Who would you hire?
New Grads
• Post orientation, recently graduated nurses often believe
they need more support and mentoring. Retention rates
decline as these nurses conclude that such support is
available at other HCOs. A study of the effectiveness of a
community hospital’s implementation of an educationbased preceptor program revealed multiple desirable
outcomes. Based on a convenience sample (N = 40) new
graduates, qualitative and quantitative findings indicate a
high level of satisfaction (mean visual analogue scale score
93.7), 29% increase in retention, and 9.5% decrease in
vacancy (Almada, et al., 2004).
Thoughts
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Boomerangs. Call all of the good nurses who left your facility over
the last few years and ask them whether they would like to return. If
they turn you down, ask them to be referral sources. Incidentally,
tell top nurses when they quit that you would like to keep in touch
with them and that they are welcome back (especially immediately,
if their new job isn’t as good as the recruiter said).
Almost qualified. Review “finalists” from previous hiring efforts
and see whether they are now more qualified or if you are willing to
give them a second look.
Turned us down. Review finalists who, in the past, rejected your
job offers. Try a new approach and try to resell them. If they say no,
ask them whether you can contact them again later.