Nurses should recognise the impact of their working environments on their own health and take steps to improve the conditions there, according to a new campaign launched by the RCN today.
'Healthy workplaces are something all staff have an interest in and can help to deliver,' said Kim Sunley, senior employment relations advisor for the RCN. 'By doing so, they improve not only their wellbeing but their ability to care for patients too,' she added.
The campaign, Healthy workplace, healthy you, is designed to support nurses to work with their employers to improve working conditions to increase their sense of wellbeing and enhance the care patients receive. ‘Our purpose is to demonstrate the benefits of a healthy workplace, which is important everywhere but particularly where there is such an impact on patient care,' said Ms Sunley. 'By treating staff fairly and with dignity, employers get a happier environment for care and lose fewer staff through sickness or high staff turnover.’
According to the campaign, workplaces should promote fair pay and a healthy balance between work and personal lives. Employers should also ensure that the health, safety and dignity of their nurses and other staff are protected and maintained, while providing access to learning and training opportunities to ensure that the skills of staff are up to date.
‘We are encouraging organisations to improve one area of employment practice and to share example of good practice with us,' said Ms Sunley.