Professional Nursing Engagement: The What's in it for Me Dilemma?

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

The current healthcare environment is proving very challenging for many organizations as they face declining reimbursements and an uncertain future. In most nursing departments, hours per patient day (the HPPD) are being very carefully monitored and nursing productivity is continuously questioned. Nursing leaders recognize the value and importance of professional staff development and engagement in decision making activities. With many staff working only three 12 hour days per week, questions arise about when it is fair to ask staff to do engage in some professional development and committee work on their own time. Should everything be done on the clock or should professionals be expected to sometimes go above and beyond? What is the best response when a professional staff member answers a leader’s request to go a little above and beyond with the question “What is in it for me?”

Professional Development – Whose Responsibility is It?

The question of what is in it for me takes on a different dimension when we are talking about professionals. Although not all nurses may believe this to be true, it is they who are ultimately responsible for their own professional development. Taking personal time to participate in professional activities that go above and beyond the job should be presented as an investment in themselves. This investment is especially important at this time of health reform when there is an increasing focus on value at every level.

What’s in it for me is not always about what we will get, it is often about how we will feel. If the activity can be presented to create feelings of pride, compassion, sharing, safety, security, thrill or excitement – it is easier to get buy-in. I have found this to be especially true for nurses when they return to school. Although the initial motivation may to wonder what they will get as a result of completing a BSN or graduate degree, this quickly transitions to a realization that the biggest “what is in it for me” – is how the additional education personally empowers them and makes them feel proud of themselves.

How to turn on the WIFM Channel

Sending a strong message with any request that makes clear what is in it for the staff member is an important first step. WIFM appeals directly to the attention and decision-making functions of the human brain. The amygdala ,as you remember from anatomy, is the part of the brain that rules much of our actions and behavior. The amygdala determines in a fraction of a second what we pay attention to. Some staff will pay no attention at all unless they can immediately see WIFM. The research clearly tells us that our younger staff are very interested in their own career development so this needs to be the strongest selling point. Marketing participation as a way to become more involved with their organization is often not the best message for this age group. For more seasoned staff, the motivation could be to give back to the profession and their own legacy.

Unfortunately over time, we have created a professional environment where many nurses expect to be paid for everything that they do. To change this dynamic, we will need to do a better job of conveying how certain unpaid professional opportunities offer powerful personal development that could be important to the future of the nurse. Healthcare has traditionally been a stable industry where there is concern about retaining staff. We are seeing this change in some settings where there are now layoffs of staff. Our futures are not guaranteed. We need to educate our staff about this reality.

So the next time, you have an opportunity for professional engagement where you ask staff to give up some of their personal time – first make a list of 5 compelling reasons under the heading “what’s in it for me”.