The Fourth of July conjures images of flag waving, fireworks, reciting The Pledge of Allegiance, and parades. It's a time of rejoicing and reaffirming our loyalty and pride in our country, manifested in part through participating in these celebrations and commemorating the path which has moved us forward. We take pride in our heritage of freedom. This objective unites us as a people in our nation. For the most part, our loyalty is unquestioned and understood by outside entities, and we understand the citizens of other nations have the same loyalty and pride in their countries.
Loyalty and pride in the workplace isn't as easily defined and not necessarily taken for granted. Some may define loyalty as longevity in employment, but is this identifier realistic in the current workforce? What behaviors comprise loyalty?
What is loyalty?
Certainly loyalty is a partnership between the organization and the employee. As employees, we're united by the mission of the institution. The employee has certain expectations from the institution and the institution has equal expectations of the employee. Extrinsic factors such as salary, benefits, work-life balance, and hours contribute to the employee's satisfaction with the employer. Working relationships, the opportunity to practice our profession in a supportive, meaningful way to individual patients also contributes to job satisfaction. The institution/employee relationship is based on trust, respect, and communication. These factors prompt loyalty in the employee.
It might be easier to define loyalty by identifying what disloyalty means to the institution. Disloyalty on a national level would be called treason. Treason is defined as "the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family."1 Continuing with this analogy, disloyalty to the institution might be identified as sharing information with other organizations which affects the produc-tivity of the institution, not supporting the mission statement, or behaving in a manner that might injure the institution.
Having loyalty and pride in the organization for which we work gives us a sense of community and contributing to a purpose larger than ourselves. This is especially evident in perioperative nursing. The necessity of working closely with others promotes loyalty to the surgical team, the department, and the organization. The opportunity to work within a well-functioning team gives the perioperative nurse a chance to feel valued. This in turn fosters dedication, commitment, and a desire to contribute.
An ambassador for excellence
Over the weekend, I was approached by someone wanting a second opinion for healthcare issues. I recommended my organization as an option. I have also encouraged other nurses to seek employment not only in the organization, but also in the surgical services department. I have developed a strong loyalty to the institution for which I work and also for the department of surgical services. When the organization is spotlighted in less-than-admirable circumstances, it affects me personally. I would venture that most employees have the same values toward the organization they work for. These characteristics make the employee an ambassador or a brand for their organization and promote behaviors that show loyalty.
Elizabeth M. Thompson, RN, CNOR, MSN
Editor-in-Chief, Nursing Education Specialist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. [email protected]
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