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Patient-focused care improved staff’s work environment

When staff at the surgical ward number 6 at the Karlstad Central Hospital were allowed to spend more time on patients and less on administration, their work environment improved too. They recently won a major work environment award worth 50,000 Swedish kronor (€5,400) for their impressive efforts to improve their work environment.

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Surgical ward No. 6: Annika Carlson, Majbritt Telander Dahlström and Birgitta Finsberg from the surgical ward number 6 at the Karlstad Central Hospital (picture above).

The Detroit model

In 1999, surgical ward number 6 at the Karlstad Central Hospital introduced so-called ‘patient-focused care’ based on a model from a Detroit hospital. The model’s value system builds on the rules and regulations which govern nursing care and the aim is to increase patients’ access to personnel. The work model is based on five cornerstones: common principles, an innovative work climate, a developing organisation, well-functioning work teams and a present leadership.

Academic research shows that employees working in this environment experience considerable improvements in their work climate and they are more innovative than workers in other organisations. Those who work at ward number 6 in Karlstad scored higher on questions about challenges in the workplace, freedom, ideas and support, trust and openness, energy and dynamics, playfulness and humour, debate and diversity, risk taking and opportunities to take time out to develop new ideas. They scored lower on questions regarding conflict in the workplace.

Work environment event

Gillla Jobbet

‘Suntarbetsliv’ (healthy work environment) is an organisation set up by Swedish municipalities and county councils. It is tasked with helping people who want to make their workplace more attractive, efficient and sustainable in the long run. The organisation is one of the organisers of the ‘Gilla Jobbet’ (Enjoy Work) event which recently gathered 5,000 participants over two days in Stockholm. ‘Gilla Jobbet’ is meant to be a meeting point where business leaders, human resources officials, students, researchers, safety officers and trade union representatives can exchange experience and knowledge.

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Patient-focused care improved staff’s work environment