Thank All The Nurses!

It’s National Nurses Week beginning today, May 6th, and ending Sunday, May 12th. It’s true – we can’t fit all of our national appreciation into a single day, so we have to spend a whole week appreciating. Because nurses are amazing. And we know HealthStar nurses are extra special, because they have the HealthStar family to back them up!

Nurses, like folks in any other profession, come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and personality types. There are gentle nurses, there are “down to business” nurses, there are kind and caring nurses, there are spiritual and not-so-spiritual nurses. There are some nurses who like wound care, some who like paperwork and regulations, and some who like becoming a part of the patient’s direct support group. The great thing is, all of these nurses have something in common – a drive to heal others, in one way or another.

At HealthStar, we know that we need all of these different types of nurses to help us provide the best possible patient care. And so this week, we’ll make an extra effort to show appreciation to all of these types of nurses for the many ways they touch our lives and the lives of our HealthStar Clients!

Put ‘er there!

To all of our HealthStar nurses – I can’t come out and high-five each of you, but I can send you this:

Image result for virtual high-five

Thank you to our HealthStar nurses!

“As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou

Without our nursing staff, we would be lost as an agency! HealthStar is lucky to have each of you putting your special kind of care into all that you do. Thank you to all of our HealthStar nurses for your service, your compassion, and your dedication to patient care!

Interested in learning how you can become a member of the HealthStar family? Check out our careers page to learn about what positions we have open in your area. Just think, the next spotlight post could be about you!

24ECC program: Building the HealthStar Family

HealthStar’s 24ECC program is different than other Corporate “touchy-feely” programs.

Many companies search for ways to increase cultural competency and employee engagement, but very few truly succeed. With the 24ECC program, HealthStar has nailed it.

Developing the 24ECC program

In 2009, HealthStar invited clients and community members to participate in focus groups tasked with identifying the qualities of good caregivers. These result: a long list of ideal characteristics for caregivers, providing great insight into HealthStar’s culturally diverse client base.

HealthStar then narrowed the focus group’s list to twenty-four crucial elements. The new 24 Expressions of Company Culture, or ECCs, fit nicely within the categories of HealthStar’s top four core values: Servant Leadership, Empathy, Altruism, and Integrity. Almost 10-years later, and the 24ECC program still lives on!

24ECCs in action

Each month, 24ECC trainers identify one of the 24ECC values to highlight. They design activities that help staff to discuss and dig deeper into the importance and impact of the chosen value. Through these activities and discussions, we gain a better understanding of the ideals that our Clients identified. We also examine the cultural differences in how values are expressed or perceived. The same values are often interpreted very differently depending on cultural background!

What the 24ECCs do for our team

One of the unexpected benefits of the 24ECCs is that they provide a tool to better understand and communicate with team members. The 24ECC program is a constant reminder that even though someone may do things differently, that doesn’t make it wrong! We learn balance – if you do too much of one value, you might end up not representing other values which are equally important. In conflict, the 24ECCs guide us to consider each other’s point of view without judging or jumping to conclusions. We use the 24ECCs as consistent language to express ourselves, and to discuss and work through concerns.

But for me, the best part is getting together once a month to get to know each other through a new 24ECC activity. I love the creative ideas that our 24ECC planners come up with! 24ECC Bingo, collage making, skits, and gift baskets – and sometimes a 24ECC snack. When we build a team that communicates and has fun together, we also develop something more than just a place where people go to complete tasks.

What 24ECC “Work Love” can do for you

HealthStar is more than a group of people who work together. We are a team that supports each other and truly cares about each other.  We are a work family, spread across three states. HealthStar people get excited to see each other at quarterly meetings – it’s like family coming to visit, including the cooking, the hugging, and the chatting.

Best of all, when HealthStar needs to get a project done, we all jump in and do what we can. We appreciate and capitalize on the things that make us different, because we know that’s part of building a great team! By fostering this Work Love relationship in our offices, we automatically extend the same level of care to our Clients. It’s not always easy, but with the 24ECCs, we have the foundation to build on. It is a great base to support great care!

Check out our website for more information about this program and how it helps us provide the best possible care!