Multimodal Approach to Transform Culture by Implementing AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Standards

Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes

Organizational culture and work environment are important factors in retaining staff members and achieving good patient outcomes. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursing staff turnover rate at Los Angeles General Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, reached 20.62%, an all-time high. A quality improvement project was initiated to improve the organization’s culture in order to increase retention and improve other nurse-sensitive indicators. The project was intended to implement the 6 healthy work environment standards established by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): Effective Communication, True Collaboration, Appropriate Staffing, Authentic Leadership, Meaningful Recognition, and Shared Decision-Making. The program resulted in improved patient outcomes, reduced nurse turnover, an increased rate of nurse certification, a higher proportion of nurses educated at the bachelor of science in nursing level or higher, and decreased overall costs.