Employee feedback shapes organizational priorities, work culture, and staff satisfaction. Voluntary and anonymous surveys and direct report rounding are some of the mechanisms for capturing and addressing staff input. Sacramento Medical Center embraces a culture of continuous listening, ensuring employees have multiple avenues to share their feedback.
The People Pulse Survey
Conducted biannually in the Spring and Fall through Glint, the People Pulse Survey is available to all hospital employees except physicians. The survey focuses on engagement, speaking up, team effectiveness, workplace and patient safety, inclusion, culture of health, talent development, organizational performance, integrity and ethics.
The RN Excellence Survey
A prerequisite for the Magnet application, the RN Excellence Survey, administered by Press Ganey, captures nurses’ feedback on seven domains of excellence, including nursing autonomy, adequacy of resources and staff, interdisciplinary collaboration, teamwork and collaboration, nursing leadership access and responsiveness, and nursing professional development.
Employee Feedback
In 2024, Sacramento’s staff feedback survey results indicate a positive employee engagement and satisfaction trend. The People Pulse engagement index, which measures overall staff engagement, has improved compared to previous survey years. Similarly, the RN Excellence survey also reflected a significantly improved nurses’ satisfaction and engagement, outperforming national benchmarks in five domains (adequacy of resources and staffing, interprofessional relationships, leadership access and responsiveness, and professional development) in most units surveyed.
Sacramento had a 98% response rate in the third quarter of the People Pulse survey and 75% in the RN Excellence Survey, placing the medical center among the top performers regionally. Esperanza Chaves, MSA, BSN, RN, Chief Nurse Executive, noted, “The fact that many staff members participated in the surveys means that our staff trust the process and their commitment to the organization’s growth. They want to be part of the solution and have confidence in the organization’s commitment to taking meaningful action. We cannot enhance employee engagement without the staff’s feedback. It is an ongoing process, and actions to improve it must evolve with the dynamic changes in the work environment and culture.”
Wellness Councils
In 2022, Sacramento Medical Center established Wellness Committees within nursing units and a hospital-wide Wellness Council under the Nursing Professional Governance Council structure. This initiative was launched in response to staff feedback from the People Pulse Survey, which highlighted challenges such as low staff engagement, burnout, and low morale. The overarching goals are to improve morale, strengthen team dynamics, reduce burnout, and enhance staff engagement.
The clinical nurses lead the unit-level committees and the hospital-wide Wellness Council, which have been implementing initiatives and promoting staff well-being and team-building-related activities at work. In addition to workplace-focused efforts, the committees also organized out-of-work activities designed to build personal connections and deepen relationships among team members.
Maureen Coloma, BSN, RN, Wellness Committee lead in the ICU, shared her perspective: “Out-of-work activities help me learn more about my colleagues outside of their work roles. Connecting in a relaxed setting and having fun is important to recharge. Our unit staff looks forward to these events because they create a sense of camaraderie. Even when some events require out-of-pocket costs, staff eagerly participate, often bringing their families to share in the fun.”