Music! Everyone loves music and each generation thinks their music is the best (I still do). I remember signing along to the Rolling Stones, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and my grandfather shaking his head and saying, “What kind of language is I can’t get no”. As I was writing this, I looked at the Billboard Top 100 for various years across the generations. I had never heard of most of the songs on the list for 2012 (Generation Z)! If we can’t even understand each other’s music, how can we work together successfully?
Multigenerational teams are not new to healthcare or nursing, however, the challenges and opportunities associated with leading multigenerational teams have gained renewed urgency in the aftermath of the pandemic with unparalleled staffing shortages and nurse turnover. Nurse leaders need strategies to leverage the unique strengths of each generation to form cohesive, high performing teams. We don’t have to all be singing the same song, but we do need to be aware that there is more than one song!
To Label or Not to Label
There is plenty of research regarding the different generations within the nursing workforce. Research has described the traits and characteristics of the different generations, communication preferences, benefit preferences, and recognition and feedback preferences. A focus on teambuilding strategies directed to caring and basic communication that may not highlight generational differences represents a new shift. Terminology is also evolving, with “age diversity”, “generation diversity”, and “intergenerational” joining the multigenerational term. Diversity terms expand the conversation to focus on differences in conjunction with the aspects of each generation that can strengthen the whole team.
Charge nurses are in a unique position to foster teambuilding among the generations. Simple activities such as encouraging each staff member to share their favorite song during a shift huddle can highlight commonalities among the generations, strengthening team bonding.
Communication is the Cornerstone
Regardless of the terminology, communication continues to be the cornerstone of effectively managing multigenerational, or age diverse, teams. Communication, as we all know, is also the cornerstone of patient safety. Communicating among multiple generations, or age diverse teams, encompasses both communication preferences and language, particularly generational slang. Communication preferences vary among the generations from email to text messages to social media. Language, particularly generational slang, can create opportunities for miscommunication even in face-to-face interactions.
Rose Sherman shares a story from a nurse leader who thought a new graduate was telling her to shut up (“say less”), however, the new graduate was telling the nurse leader that she understood what she was telling her (“say less…means I get it”). One organization created a “slang” board to engage the team and reduce miscommunication as well as unintended offense.
Power of Diversity
Erica Bettencourt encourages healthcare leaders to embrace diversity. Bettencourt notes that age diversity “plays a major role in promoting professional growth and personal fulfillment”. Age diversity also contributes to innovation and improved outcomes. Expert nurses offer a deeper understanding of patient histories and patient care, and have well-developed clinical skills, clinical judgement and critical thinking. Newer nurses offer innovative techniques based on the latest research as well as digital/technology mastery.
According to Bettencourt, the diversity in experiences, perspectives, and skills among the generations promotes smarter teams, better results, social connections, job satisfaction, and happiness. Charge nurses can assign expert nurses as preceptors for newer nurses to help the newer nurses develop their critical thinking, clinical judgement and clinical skills. Charge nurses can also make assignments that allow Gen Z nurses to practice skills since they prefer to learn by doing in an interactive environment. Pairing Gen X, Y, with Gen Z nurses allows them to share their knowledge, experience and wisdom, building trust and enhancing social networking.
Charge Nurses Have Influence
Charge nurses, as frontline nurse leaders, have tremendous influence on their units. These nurse leaders are uniquely positioned to build cohesive and high-performing age-diverse teams. Karen Steiner notes that face-to-face communication is the best mechanism to foster trust among all generations. Since charge nurses are on their units interacting with the staff, they can role-model face-to-face communication. Gen Z nurses can struggle with face-to-face communication with their peers, patients, and physicians. Role-modeling face-to-face communication can help Gen Z nurses develop these critical skills and understand how best to communicate in different situations.
During huddles, charge nurses can also solicit input from various generations regarding how to handle a complex patient situation for the shift. This allows the age diverse team to learn from one another. Since charge nurses work so closely with the staff, they also have a great opportunity to recognize staff and provide immediate feedback.
Learning About Generational Differences is Essential
Learning about the strengths and worldviews of each generation and reflecting on their own practice is essential for nurse leaders. Overwhelmingly, the literature agrees that understanding the differences among the generations is important and focusing on the strengths that each generation brings to the team is the best strategy for effective teambuilding, improved patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction/retention.
Organizations can leverage training for nurse leaders in managing age-diverse teams through professional development programs such as the NCharge®: “Nurses Learning to Lead” series. This series includes teaching content as well as activities and self-reflection to help charge nurses use what they have learned in their practice. The series has a program specifically designed to teach charge nurses the strategies they need to lead multigenerational, or “generation-diverse”, teams so they will know the different “music” of all the generations on their team and know that all the different music is “the best”.
References:
Bacon, T. C. (2023). The nurse leader and the challenges and opportunities of the intergenerational workforce. Nurse Leader 21(3), P362-365.
Bettencourt, E. (2024). The power of age diversity in healthcare (blog article). (4) The Power of Age Diversity in Healthcare | LinkedIn
Choi, P., Wong, S., Lee, W., & Tiu, M. (2022). Multi-generational perspectives on the competencies required of first-line nurse managers: A phenomenological study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10560, 1-15.
Sherman, R. O. (2006). Leading a multigenerational nursing workforce: Issues, challenges and strategies. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 11(2).
Sherman, R. O. (2022). Communicating with Generation Z nurses (blog article). EmergingRNLeader: Communicating with Generation Z Nurses – Emerging Nurse Leader (emergingrnleader.com)
Stanford, F. C. (2020). The importance of diversity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce. Journal of the National Medical Association, 11(2), 247-249.
Steiner, K. B. (2023). Team building in a multigenerational workforce. Nurse Leader, articles in press.
Tussing, T. E., Chipps, E., Tornwall, J. (2024). Generational differences in the nursing workforce: Strategies for nurse leaders. Nurse Leader, articles in press.