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Caregivers CornerOctober, 2000Frontline Coaching... |
With the short supply of trained frontline caregivers available to meet the growing demand for workers within long term care, many of us find ourselves investing enormous expense and energy in hiring and retraining to maintain the frontline staff we depend on to deliver more than 90% of direct resident care. As long term care supervisors and managers many of us may be asking ourselves, "Aside from throwing more money at the problem what other strategies can we use to improve the retention, performance and job satisfaction of our new hires?" One strategy may be the introduction of supervisory job coaching and peer mentoring initiatives into the workplace. |
The Institute recently completed a multi-year, facility-based training project in the mid-state that had as one of its goals the introduction of job coaching to department managers, charge nurses and unit supervisors. The project's lead trainer, Suzanne Fisher, remarked, "From frontline supervisors to management and leadership, we're all involved in coaching, whether we're aware of it or not. Therefore, the real question is not whether we should be involved in coaching, but rather, how well we're doing." Counseling, tutoring, mentoring, challenging and confronting are all coaching techniques that can be incorporated into supervisory daily practice to improve on-the-job performance of the frontline.
The goals of retention-based job coaching and mentoring include:
 | teaching new knowledge and skills |
| ensuring a clear understanding of job expectations |
| promoting commitment and bonding to the organization |
| creating a supportive environment that fosters employment success |
| providing early interventions that guide performance improvement |
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As a culmination to the multi-year pilot project, the Institute developed a training manual for the Pennsylvania Department of Education that will be distributed to staff development and in-service coordinators of Pennsylvania's nursing centers in 2001. In addition to providing full instructional resources to conduct employee training on a variety of topics including communication, team building, conflict resolution, stress and change management, the manual devotes special attention to employee coaching and mentoring. Effective coaching can be accomplished by supervisors as well as by peer mentors. The manual includes both supervisory coaching techniques and nurse aide mentor initiatives. |
According to Carol Tschop, President of the Institute for Caregiver Education, "The introduction of employee mentoring by effective, well-seasoned, and caring role models eases the transition for newcomers and guides the development of incumbent employees, enhancing standards of care within our nursing homes."
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