| dc.description.abstract | Southern Ohio Medical Center, a regional hospital system serving Appalachian Ohio historically achieves high rankings on a national benchmark employee satisfaction survey, but nurse employee engagement scores dropped by 10% after COVID-19. This study explores and identifies drivers of employee engagement using evidence-based findings to provide recommendations toward improving employee engagement in order for SOMC to restore higher rankings in its benchmark survey and achieve an improved nursing unit performance. Data Collection methods included surveys and interviews of nurses from each of two SOMC nursing units – one having received the lowest engagement ranking ever recorded at SOMC and the other having received a high engagement commensurate with average hospital performance prior to the pandemic. Both nursing units ranked dedication (compensation and confidence) as the highest indicator of their employee engagement. Older, more experienced nurses valued communication more; while younger, less experienced, nurses valued conciliation more. Cultivation was ranked more important by the higher engagement nurse unit than by the lower engagement nurse unit. A management change in the low engagement unit eliminated any significant difference in overall engagement between the two units after just a few months. | |
