Organizational climate

On Being Inclusive

One of the things we strive for, given our mission, is to be inclusive within the Nursing Section.  That makes sense, as we are working to ensure that our health systems are inclusive of and responsive to all across the gender and sexual spectra.  Since we’re a group of humans, though, it is definitely a work in progress.

At this past Summit in Philadelphia, I was ecstatic to meet a couple of LPNs in attendance.  Having spent the first part of my clinical career in sub-acute and long-term care, I have a healthy respect for the knowledge and expertise of LPNs and the role they play in those settings.  In New England, it seems this is the primary area, along with home care, that LPNs remain a strong presence, as many hospitals have adopted RN-only policies, but I gathered from those I met at the Summit that this is not the case in other regions of the country.  LPNs and LVNs are part of our front-line of patient care, and we need them as much as any other nurse to help in this work.

We definitely want to make sure we’re inclusive of all our nurses, from LPN/LVN through APRN.  But I also heard from those nurses that they weren’t sure how they would be received, as their perception was that the Nursing Section is primarily for RNs, and particularly RNs in academia.  That’s not a perception that I think any of us want or intend to be projecting!

One item I identified as an obvious (and easy-to-fix) cue was our Twitter handle.  Originally, it was the Twitter handle of the research work group, so GLMA_RNs was intended to capture both the fact we were “research nurses” and that the group at the time was composed entirely of “registered nurses.”  Since that has evolved, and now that Twitter handle is for the whole section, however, that wordplay is obsolete and the handle definitely signals “we’re all RNs here.”  So it has been changed, and you can now find us on Twitter at @GLMA_Nsg .

If you are an LPN or LVN or just have thoughts on how we can be more inclusive of all nurses, please share those thoughts in the comments.

The GLMA Nursing Workplace Climate Scale – Available now!

The GLMA Nursing Section has now unveiled our “Workplace Climate Scale” – a tool that can be used to improve the working environment for nurses in any setting!  It can also be used as a teaching and learning tool to raise awareness of ways to reduce workplace WCS logohomophobia and microagressions that affect LGBTQ individuals and families.

You can find out more from the information on our website! Discover a number of ways that YOU can use this simple yet comprehensive tool, regardless of where you work!  We developed the tool as a way to address homophobia in the workplace that has damaged so many lives for too many years.  But our approach is a positive one … it outlines the actions and conditions that can be create to not only overcome homophobia, and create a truly welcoming environment that values all sexual and gender minority nurses!

Here are the specific sections that you will find on the website:

Teaching with the Workplace Climate Scale – here you will find a slideshow that you can use in any setting to introduce people to the elements on the Scale, and to prompt discussion of how to create these conditions in any workplace.

Workplace Climate Scale for Self- Assessment – here you will find a downloadable PDF file that lists all 1o of the items on the scale, with a column for you to use for self-assessment in any setting.

Recognition for earning a “Perfect 10” on the Workplace Climate Scale – so you want to actually use the scale to score your workplace, AND you find that you have a “perfect 10!”  Use the electronic form on this page to let us know, and we will post your achievement on our website!

Most of all, we would love to hear from you!  We are still in the process of posting resources to help people who want to use this important resource to take action where you work!  Fill out the contact form here, and give us your suggestions!  We will do everything we can to support what you want to accomplish!

GLMA Board Approves the Nursing Section “Positive Workplace Climate Scale” Project!

Hot off the press — this past week-end the GLMA Board gave us a green light to proceed with the project that the “Organizational Climate” workgroup initiated last fall!  This project centers around a brief 10-item Scale that can be used to assess key factors that create a positive climate for LGBTQ nurses, and contribute to ending homophobia and discrimination against LGBTQ nurses.

We will now proceed with the plan for the project, and will unveil the details at the Nursing Summit on September 24th!  The Scale itself will be available on the Nursing Section website, as well as guidelines for using the Scale.  The Organizational Climate Workgroup will use our workgroup time at the Summit to refine the plan for moving this project through an initial ‘beta” phase, with enhanced resources on the web site, and plans for encouraging nurses and organizational leaders who are interested in being involved!

Please plan to join us to hep support this important project! Several of the other workgroups will be involved in helping with resources and follow-through on this project, so if you are interested in one of the other workgroups, that will be fine — you will still be able to involved in moving this project along!   If you cannot be present at the Summit to join the Climate workgroup for the next phase, contact us now using the contact form on our workgroup page!

This is a project that can make a huge difference for all of us — LGBTQ nurses as well as our allies!  So join us if you can!

Organizational Climate Workgroup underway!

At the 2014 GLMA Nursing Summit we had a small but very dedicated group!  Amy Wilson-Stronks has provided notes from our brainstorming discussion, which are now posted for download on our workgroup page.  Peggy Chinn will be our workgroup leader PLC 2014-09for the coming year, but we are seeking others to help us work on a very specific project – a fact sheet to guide assessing and creating a positive, welcoming organizational culture for LGBTQ people and families.

At the Summit our group discussed general concepts around organizational climate, and what a campaign might look like to promote positive organizational climates for LGBTQ people wherever nurses work.  We are continuing to brainstorm a “bumper sticker” message or slogan that we might use to launch a widespread campaign to promote LGBTQ equity and overcome homophobia in nursing.  We are starting with a relatively “simple” task of putting together a fact sheet that we can distribute far and wide!  Please join us in working on this important, and we think very fun, project!  Complete the contact form workgroup page to join us,  and we will get our workgroup organized!