Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

57 NURSING SPOTLIGHT "Unfortunately, only 3 percent of those 40 reported concerns came from nursing, which is eye-opening to me," Ms. Tomcavage said, adding that Geisinger is now on a mission to encourage more nurses to report unprofessional behavior. 5. Investigate all reports and implement necessary coaching or disciplinary action. Of the 28 percent of Geisinger nurses who said they'd tolerate inappropriate behavior from a provider, at least 35 percent said they felt nothing would be done if they reported it, Ms. Tomcavage said. is mindset is oen pervasive in nursing culture, according to Ms. Mihal. "I think there is a form of bullying and ha- rassment that nurses tend to expect and not report," she said. "It's sort of expected that you have to pay your dues." To combat this thinking, health systems must clarify that such behaviors are unac- ceptable, encourage nurses to report and then act on these concerns when raised. When Geisinger receives a concern, its Committee on Standards of Professional- ism investigates by talking to the alleged offender and his or her supervisor and then recommends any necessary coach- ing or training. The health system is also going to start tracking staff members who have repeat complaints against them, instead of relying on one-off reports, to escalate interventions as needed, Ms. Tom- cavage said. Why should stopping workplace bullying be a priority? Addressing unwanted behaviors in the work- place is about more than just professionalism. ese behaviors can have detrimental effects on team members' psychological safety and care quality, according to Ms. Tomcavage. "When nurses are bullied, they may not bring forward quality concerns," she said. "We also know the personal toll that this takes can lead to depression and nurse suicide." ese behaviors can also contribute to nurse burnout and turnover, which is problematic considering the health system is already facing a nursing shortage. "If we can eradicate unprofessional behavior, we should see a significant increase in our quality and safety for patients," Ms. Tom- cavage said. "We should also see a signifi- cant impact on turnover and retention and professional and personal fulfillment in a job that is demanding but also so rewarding." n More nursing jobs unfilled than any other job in South Carolina By Gabrielle Masson T here are more open positions for registered nurses than any other job in South Carolina, NBC affiliate WYFF reported May 19. Statewide, there are 4,955 openings for nurses, according to a May 17 analysis of SC Works data by WYFF. "Obviously the demand for nursing precedes COVID by quite a bit," said Brian Nottingham, labor market information director for the South Car- olina Department of Employment and Workforce. "We've got an aging population, so this is part of a 10-year trajectory on a big upward swing." The need for nurses has been around for decades, said Shirleatha Lee, PhD, RN, dean of the nursing school at Spartanburg-based University of South Carolina Upstate. "When you look at USC Upstate, this program was started over 50 years ago, and it was started on the foundation of the nursing shortage," Dr. Lee told WYFF. Dr. Lee said nursing school enrollment has risen and when students graduate, they're essentially guaranteed a job. The healthcare workforce as a whole declined by 44,000 jobs in the first three months of 2021 compared to last year. n Why this nurse's scrubs are heading to the Smithsonian By Mackenzie Bean A critical care nurse's scrubs are getting a new home at the Smithsonian Museum of American History to commemorate her role in the nation's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, CBS News reported July 3. Sandra Lindsay, RN, a critical care nurse and intensive care unit director at New York City-based Long Island Jewish Medical Center, was the first American to receive Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Dec. 14. Her medical scrubs, vaccination card and the badge she wore the day of her vaccination will all be on display at the Smithsonian's COVID-19 exhibit. Ms. Lindsay, who immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica at age 18, also received the Outstanding American by Choice award from U.S. Citizen- ship and Immigration Services. The award recognizes naturalized citi- zens who've made significant contributions to the U.S., President Joe Biden said during a July 2 ceremony. Long Island Jewish Medical Center is part of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health. n

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