By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Health systems are now slowly easing social distancing requirements after two years of pretty stringent rules. One leader told me that her team went out for dinner recently to celebrate colleagues who retired during COVID – the first time in over two years. We all felt so much better after that dinner…..just socializing was so much fun.
During COVID, nurses did not have group lunches in their units or take breaks together. Special events like baby showers, birthdays, and retirements were not celebrated. It is not surprising that many nursing team members don’t feel connected to each other right now. These social rituals play an important role in the workplace by doing the following:
- Learn about each other on a personal level.
- Connect us as a team.
- Help new team members feel more psychologically safe and included in the workplace.
- Provide opportunities for recognition.
- Lead to higher retention.
The significance of rituals is captured in the book Rituals Roadmap, by Erica Keswin, who points out that rituals are an evidence-based practice of building more cohesive teams. Rituals mean something to people and help us to connect in meaningful ways. When rituals are lost, our connections to one another become weaker. Rituals like celebrations or meals revitalize us in ways that other things don’t. It is why so many families who lost family members during COVID are struggling with their grief and closure because a memorial service to honor the life of their loved ones may not have taken place.
Keswin defines a ritual as a sequence of repeated symbolic actions over time formalized into the fabric of team culture to maintain group cohesion. Rituals help build psychological safety because they are designed to promote inclusion. Rituals can be a powerful reinforcement of an organization’s values and make staff feel like they are part of something special. Without them, teams struggle to build meaning in their work.
I contend that the loss of rituals with social distancing in healthcare environments is a reason for nurse turnover and discontent. A perioperative director explained that food has always been a central part of perioperative cultures. Her unit had long-standing breakfast rituals before COVID but no longer. She misses those days as they helped bond the team and integrate new team members. Like many leaders, she is especially concerned about the new staff because of the loss of rituals that were part of onboarding. For two years, her organization’s orientation has been virtual. Her new nurses no longer personally meet the CNO or tour the medical center. She sees a big difference in staff attachment to the organization. There is very little “social glue” holding things together.
As part of our leadership work in 2022, we need to think intentionally about re-establishing old rituals and adding new ones. Some areas to rebuild rituals include the following
- Nurse recognition
- The onboarding of new staff
- At the beginning of meetings
- Team meals and snacks
- Social events outside of work
- Charity walks and drives
- Professional development and achievement such as certification
Any ritual started should add value, enhance feelings of psychological safety and improve performance. A good place to start redesigning your rituals is to examine your organization’s core values. Keswin advises that leaders should ask staff for their ideas about rituals, especially in light of the nursing workforce’s significant demographic shifts.
Rituals help to restore our humanity and civility and should be a key priority in 2022.
© emergingrnleader.com 2022
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