The rights defined
Utilizing person as the first of the five tenets is purposefully validating and empowering. The person tenet serves as the “centering stake in the ground.” In other words, a problem of the person is rare. Starting the conversation by acknowledging the value and worth of the person serves to honor the individual and begin with a positive connection. The nurse is more likely to leave the conversation feeling whole, with the supervisor validating his or her ability to be successful as a person and nurse, maintaining self-respect and self-worth. This process reflects self-determination theory, which recognizes the importance of the individual's inner resources for personality development and behavioral self-regulation.9 To encourage people toward their highest potential, leaders can leverage themes of innate competence, autonomy, and relatedness.9More commonly, performance gaps can be linked to the place, role, time, or tool tenets. By addressing disconnects of place, nurses can change where they work within the organization to become more productive. The organization benefits through nurse retention and the staff member benefits when his or her work is aligned with professional goals and abilities. Through early identification, this can save the organization from costly turnover. Or, if a disconnect of place is identified relative to the organization's core values, resolution through termination may be appropriate.The same is true of finding the right fit for role and time. Examples of disconnects in role or time might include a nurse seeking promotion prematurely or experiencing burnout that requires a change of role to heal. Time issues can also arise when an employee's personal situation is affected by a death, divorce, or other challenge with significant stress negatively affecting his or her work.The last tenet—being supported by the right tools—imparts symbiotic responsibility on the leadership team, organization, and team member. Just as the first tenet of person provides connective value, the tools tenet anchors the process with supportive engagement toward improvement. Strong healthcare organizations provide the supportive processes, structures, training, coaching, and education that nurses need to perform optimally. This shared involvement reflects empowerment and synergy. Nurses are less likely to leave if they're members of patient care teams in which nurses engage in synergistic communication.10 (See Table 1.)
Table 1:
Table 1:
Image Tools Utilizing the structure of The5 Rights enables leaders to depersonalize tough conversations, establish a context that's concrete yet nonjudgmental, and provide structure for feedback that could be perceived as subjective. Its use keeps conversations focused and illuminates options for resolution.