Why Mattering At Work Matters

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

A common theme I hear today from leaders is that frontline nurses are increasingly angry about staffing decisions made without their input. One leader related the following story:

One of my night nurses came to me in tears this week. She had come in to work her shift, although she was physically sick because she did not want her colleagues to be short-staffed. Shortly after she arrived, she was pulled to another unit. Her unit was short-staffed, but another “needed me more.”  She tried to explain that she was not well, but the house supervisor told her that it was her turn and she needed to float. This nurse told me we lacked humanity, and she feels like one cog in a staffing wheel – interchangeable and without voice.

Many nurses feel like they no longer matter as individuals to their organizations. Some have long-haul COVID acquired at work, but no one follows up on how they are doing.  Last week, the Wall Street Journal published The Power of Mattering at Work – WSJ on why mattering at work matters. Interestingly, they cited the Surgeon General’s report that was issued in April, calling for workplaces to better protect employee mental health. The report states that the “essentials” for well-being at work is “mattering,” the belief that you are valued and important to others. “People want to know that they matter to those around them and that their work makes a difference in the lives of others,” the report notes. The article noted that recent research has shown that a focus on mattering can be a powerful tool for responding to the rise in loneliness, anxiety, depression, and social division among Americans.

There is a universal human need to feel seen and valued by those around us.  An ANA pulse survey in July indicated that 31% of nurses reported that one of the top three ways to improve work satisfaction would be to genuinely listen to their concerns. The phenomena of “anti-mattering”—a chronic feeling of being insignificant, unheard, and invisible is a significant issue with the nursing workforce today.

The WSJ notes that even those in high-level leadership roles now report that no one knows them well. To further a culture of mattering, experts recommend that organizations involve staff in key decisions that affect their work so that they know their input is valued. Some strategies to promote mattering in your work environment include the following:

• Hold listening sessions where staff can voice their concerns – some may be solvable and others not, but taking time to listen is key.
• Giving staff choices in their work and schedules whenever possible.
• Linking contributions of staff directly to the mission of the organization.
• Creating opportunities for staff to learn about each other on a personal level.
• Showing more directed appreciation and recognition for the work of staff.
• Acknowledging sacrifices that staff might make for the organization (such as floating in the story above).
• Learning personal details about new staff members and asking them what is important in their lives.
• Providing mentoring and career coaching to help staff achieve their career goals.
• Connecting staff with community activities where they can feel they are contributing.
• Bringing patients back for celebratory events shows staff how they have made a difference.
• Taking incivility and assaults by patients and families very seriously.
• Staying in contact with staff who are on FMLA.
• Building a strengths-based culture where everyone is valued for their unique gifts.

Unlike other recruitment and retention initiatives, focusing on hardwiring the concept of mattering into your culture costs very little but could have outsized returns.