Laughter is What They're After in Recruitment and Retention, by Kathy Brown, RN, CSP

When hiring nursing home personnel, two things stand out. First, what kind of people would I like caring for me when I`m older? What is their profile?

My personal preference would be people who smiled and enjoyed their work; individuals with a sense of humor who genuinely cared about me. Can your residents discern these characteristics in your staff?

I would challenge the nursing team to check on how they were doing by looking in the eyes of the residents. Like other nonverbal actions, we need to evaluate what their eyes are "saying." They`re trying to tell us a story.

Second, when interviewing candidates, it`s important to know why they want to work in long-term care. As nursing assistants, are they vested in the health-care field? Or are they just "between things" and need money?

It`s wise to hire with the "end" in mind. "How long do you see yourself working with us, if you do get this position?" "Where do you want to be in one, two, and five years from now?"

Research in trends of lengthy job commitments indicates a positive work environment and work friendships keep people in their present position for longer periods of time. According to one study, it takes 30 percent additional salary to move someone to a new facility when the person is happy in her current job. This is an important key…Keep your staff happy!

First, we need to address the underlying negative conception that people have about working in a nursing home. As chairman of the Long Term Care Interest Group for three years (for the National Association of Health Care Recruiters), I felt we needed to find the reason for this conception.

We pooled our brain-knowledge on a national level and looked at multiple factors in deciding the major reason for this outlook.

Our collective knowledge came up with a fact that we sometimes don`t want to personally admit to - the negative connotation of aging itself.

Society doesn`t want to associate directly with degeneration, lack of personal control and ultimately, death. This old-baggage concept that you "go to a nursing home to die" has been etched in our subconscious.

Long-term care is actually the place where the elderly can go to attain quality living in a socially stimulating environment. For some, the alternative is a lonely, boring, unhappy existence. We also need to educate our staff and America about the wisdom of aging. They must be made aware of the great source that grandparents are to children and adults alike. Seniors have the time to care, to love and to listen to the many concerns of our "too busy" society members.

It`s up to each of us in long-term care to uplift this image, starting with working through our own issues of dealing with our mortality. As a nurse, I was privileged to be with several residents as they died.

It was during these special moments that the families and I shared and bonded. When I was able to make those last moments appropriate and positive for the resident and I could provide some comfort to those left behind, it gave me an "emotional check" that no one else could cash.

We need to start with ourselves to make a more positive environment. Let`s go to work with the attitude of how we can contribute to the lives of others, rather than thinking, "I hope I get the easy end today."

Whenever we were short-staffed, I looked at who I was working with. I knew from that whether or not the residents were going to have a good day. It wasn`t the number of employees that determined the day, but rather, it was who the employees were. Attitude is everything.

Intangibles make the difference for your employees. Training and educating them is the best investment you can make.

Praises are wages. Why is it so hard for us to tell each other what we like about one another?

Three out of four people leave their jobs because of personnel problems. Monitoring the "magic of the mix" when hiring is another important key to staff retention. Get to know the personality types on the units. You also can check with the supervisors. They`ll be able to give you input as to the areas of strength of their present staff.

It`s also important to "grow your own people." When new positions open that your current employees are qualified for, post the job descriptions in the papers.

Don`t run the same ad week after week, or even run ads for the same positions each week. You look desperate. Applicants have told me that they chose our facility because we weren`t always running ads, giving the perception that we were always "short."

How do you promote fun in your facility? Form a humor committee that is an extension of your retention committee.

This group would plan fun, i.e., once a month "Laugh and Lunch" outing when only positive things could be discussed. Every person in attendance would contribute at least one funny thing to say or do.

Sing "Happy Birthday" in the lunch room to staff at regular intervals. Have a Hall of Fun where cartoons are encouraged. Contribute $1 a week as a prize for the best one. Plan stimulating activities that will encourage friendship and bond staff.

Laughter is critical to the emotional success in our lives. The elderly need so little, but they need that little so much!

They are probably the most grateful people you can care for. When they`re happy, our jobs are easier and more fun. Set up informal programs for residents to meet once a week for a "Laugh-in."

Have residents take turns bringing in a funny story, or doing something that brings joy to others. When these kinds of programs have been carried out, they have become very popular with everyone. There also is a marked improvement in how people dress and socialize afterwards.

There are lots of ways for each of us to bring joy to our work, but the first step is our own. Develop the skill of thinking funny, of finding the humor in everyday expereinces. Learn to laugh at yourself and to make others laugh.

Humor is contagious. It starts with a simple smile to someone you don`t even know, and it builds into multiple blessings for all those who are open to receive it.