Running head: MANAGING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS: SCENARIOS FROM THE WORKPLACE
MANAGING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS: SCENARIOS FROM THE WORKPLACE
Jaquelyn Guadalajara
NUR 3000
Professor Brown
February 3, 2018
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MANAGING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS: SCENARIOS FROM THE WORKPLACE
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Managing Multiple Generations: Scenarios from the Workplace
When it comes to the topic of diversity in the workplace, many people are not aware of
the challenges taken on by nurse managers when developing a united and effective nursing team
that involves generational cohorts. According to Hahn, “For the first time in history, there are
four distinct generational cohorts represented in the nursing workforce: The Veterans, the Baby
Boomers, Generation X, and the Millennials” (Sherman, 2006). Therefore, there must be a type
of strategy that nurse managers must attain to effectively manage a team involving
multigenerational staff.
Most interesting and quote pertinent to nursing
In order to effectively manage a team with multigenerational diversity, nurse managers
use “The ACORN Imperatives.” This is what I found most interesting throughout the reading
because companies have found a way to resolve conflict that may facilitate and decrease
differences within the multigenerational staff. The ACORN imperative is “five precepts or
operational ideas used by successful companies to grow “oak strong” organizations (Zemke
et.al., 2000, pp. 156-158). This quote stood out the most to me within the reading, I believe it’s a
great strategy because there are nurses who are preparing for retirement, the Veterans and the
Baby Boomers for example, and there are Generation X and Millennials who are beginning their
nursing careers. Because of the differences between the generations, it may cause divisions in the
workplace, and therefore I believe the ACORN Imperative is valuable.
Connections to nursing practice
A connection I saw between the reading and nursing practice is the concept of
communication. It’s simple, yet important because it involves actively listening, responding, and
speaking to a person which helps initiate trust. In all aspects of nursing practice, communication
MANAGING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS: SCENARIOS FROM THE WORKPLACE
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is the key strategy to understanding people of all generations. As a nurse you will be interacting
with your co-workers, patients, and the patient’s family members. Thus, learning how to
effectively communicate with multiple generations allows for improvement in the work
environment for both nurses and nursing managers.
Applying to clinical instruction
As a nursing student, I believe a way that I can apply the information I’ve gathered from
“Managing Multiple Generations: Scenarios from the Workplace” to clinical instruction, is to
effectively respect and understand the generational differences that I will encounter while at
clinicals. I have learned that although there will be a generational gap in the workplace, knowing
how to communicate with each generation will help to obtain my co-workers trust as well as my
patients.
Conclusion
In sum then, it is important and challenging for both nurse managers and nurses to learn
how to respect and understand the differences of core values that each generation has in the
workplace. Nurse managers can follow the ACORN imperatives to assist them with
communicating with employees, but they must also know how to address each generation when
interacting with patients and the patient’s family members.
Question
An interesting question I have for the class is: “Which core values associated with your
generation do you identify with most closely?”
MANAGING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS: SCENARIOS FROM THE WORKPLACE
References
Hahn, J. (2011). Managing multiple generations: scenarios from the workplace. Nursing Forum:
An Independent Voice for Nursing, 46(3), 119-127.
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