Share what we can anticipate in your work role performance with regard to its functions and execution?

I don’t need to tell you about the staffing and morale issues we have among our colleagues here at SMH. I do want to tell you about how I hope to improve that situation and help our hospital. I hope you will consider my proposal of the contributions and results I could deliver in a newly-created role of “Associate Director for Nurses’ Wellness.” In this role, I would serve as a full-time counselor and advocate for our over-stressed colleagues. The mere creation of this position would send a positive message to our staff.

One of my first ongoing duties would be to survey and interview staff to get their input on what they need to gain more satisfaction in their daily experiences.
My current informal role as Continuing Education facilitator is an important one, but that area needs more expansion. Those duties should be incorporated into the new Wellness role. As you know, our staff have repeatedly requested more support in facilitating their CE. Here again, there would be a morale boost if nurses saw that this support had been formalized in my new role. But more importantly, I could develop better and more accessible CE programs, which would lead to better and more satisfied nurses.

My role as counselor would provide insight into which types of nurses are most at-risk. Positive reaction to those findings can reduce our attrition and save us a fortune in recruiting and training.

What do you offer in your potential work role performance that gives you unique advantages over other candidates or options we may be considering?

My years of experience at SMH have given me a practical awareness of what the hospital can and can’t do (especially financially) to help them. So I will encourage staff to help produce creative and realistic solutions for our old problems. Also, as a fully licensed and experience RN I am able to identify with and build outstanding rapport with nurses.

How will your performance in this work role reduce the resource and investment demands related to this role?

If I asked you if you would hire one new person in order to reduce our 40% annual attrition rate, I think you would say yes. That is essentially what I propose. By promoting me to this new role, I can work full-time to make our other nurses satisfied and stable.

One especially costly aspect of the attrition rate is our reliance on nurse temps. I am told that their rates (and expenses, when they come from out of town) account for 50% of the budget for nurses’ wages. If we can reduce our reliance on temps, we can reallocate a large amount of that 50%. Imagine also the time we would save if we weren’t always looking for the next staff replacement.

How will your work role performance reduce or eliminate the risks related to this role?

AORN Journal recently had a cover story on the fact that stressed-out nurses are also risky nurses. With a full-time advocate concentrating on nurses’ satisfaction and wellbeing, we will offer a parallel reduction in malpractice and deadly mistakes.

With four years of experience at SMH and 12 years of nursing experience overall, I have the knowledge and background the Wellness role requires. I believe I also have the trust and respect of my fellow nurses, as I trust and respect them. Overall, I am a stable and experienced person for this role, and definitely a low-risk candidate!

We are in a crisis situation due to staffing issues. Two of our sites are in danger of closing in part because of nursing shortages. We must assess and improve the quality of work for our nurses, because we are at risk of failing at our healthcare mission.

Is there information you can offer that would provide the period of time within your career that you might be willing to remain with us in this role, and, if applicable, other roles within our organization?

I have a strong affinity for SMH exemplified by my strong performance and commitment over many years. There is nothing in my personal life that would conflict with a long-term affiliation.

Would you like to provide any other information regarding how your performance in this role may increase our “Return On Investment” in you and this role?

If I only achieve the most conservative of impacts on our retention goals then the R.O.I. would still be significant.

I also feel this return SMH would experience from having me in this role extend well beyond the current nursing census. Recruiting and overall image of SMH will be positively impacted as well.

At the very least, I seek compensation comparable to the lower end of the Director range. I would also like to attend as many of the SMH management seminars and retreats as possible, in order to improve on my management skills. In return, SMH employs a talented and committed leader focused on a critical issue to the financial success of the system