In taking care of staff members, long-term care providers must ensure that the “four Ms” are met: what matters most, medications, mobility and mind. That’s according to Emily Nicoli, MS, RN, chief nursing officer at UnitedHealthcare Retiree Solutions. She spoke Thursday at a roundtable discussion presented by AMDA–The Society for Post-acute and Long-term Care Medicine.
“All of the ‘Ms’ really should be implemented together in your facilities, which will ultimately improve the care of the elderly in your facilities,” Nicoli said.
What matters most
Company culture and respect are at the forefront of this benchmark. Instead of having workers prefer a specific unit or floor because of a positive culture, “we need to make sure that culture is everywhere in that facility,” she said.
Being kind, Nicoli said, includes actions such as apologizing when wrong, regardless of intent, taking the time to remember staff members’ names and expressing appreciation.
Diversity / equality / inclusion interdisciplinary workgroups also promote a culture of acceptance and well-being, she added.
Medications
Ensuring that staff members have the proper personal protective equipment is a starting point to a positive environment, and key to the second of these four Ms, Nicoli said, noting that early in the pandemic, healthcare workers often were found scrambling for PPE.
Additionally, she said, providers should provide good health and medical insurance for their workers, along with maternal / paternal leave, social meetings where workers can engage in activities such as book clubs or exercise classes, and healthier snack options on the job.
Mobility
The third of the four Ms is to provide opportunities for growth and career advancement, Nicoli said.
“Leadership does not have to equal management. There are people that are great leaders but they are not good managers. …you can have leadership positions where people can really thrive,” she said.
She suggested tapping into the talents of nurses thriving in certain areas, such as wound care. Those nurses could serve as the go-to staff members to whom others turn when they need leadership in that area.
Elicit feedback to understand the needs of the staff, Nicoli suggested.
Mind
The last of the four Ms is mind. Take care of your staff members’ mental health, she said.
One way is to check to see who is not taking paid time off and suggest that those who are not take a few days off, because “if you’re not taking time for yourself to rest and recharge, that’s ultimately going to lead to a problem,” Nicoli said. “Sometimes people just need a little nudge as a reminder to do that.”
Also, she suggested regular debriefing sessions following stressful or emotionally charged events, such as the death of a resident. Again, Nicoli said, this is a good topic on which to elicit feedback from staff members, to find out whether the employer can do better in showing compassion for its teams.
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