A message of thanks is posted by an ED staff member on the Acts of Kindness bulletin board.
Bees are commonly associated with hard work, cooperation, and community. In the PPMC Emergency Department, they also represent kindness. Since November 2022, images of bees have served as a reminder to “Bee Kind” – an initiative that has sweetened interactions among the staff.
Nurse Manager LeighAnn Mazzone, MSN, RN, CEN, who co-created the Bee Kind campaign with Assistant Nurse Manager Diane Maccarone, MSN, RN, CEN, said many in their department had been feeling the cumulative effects of the pandemic and working in the fast-paced, high-stress environment of an ED.
The two attended a nursing conference in Atlantic City and were inspired by presentations about kindness and workplace civility. They did some research and discovered Bee Kind, a concept that originated in elementary schools as an anti-bullying campaign. Mazzone believed the message could be adapted for use at work. “What it boils down to for us is just being nice to one another,” she said.
Mazzone and Maccarone enlisted volunteer “Bee Kind Ambassadors” from the ED to help develop messaging that would be meaningful to the department. The group surveyed the staff and established an etiquette guide, defining the behaviors that contribute to kindness and cooperation, such as accountability, mindfulness, and encouragement. The campaign also included a Bee Kind Pledge, biweekly emails featuring a specific Bee Kind theme, departmental signage, small treats from leadership to reward kindness, and an Acts of Kindness bulletin board.
The Bee Kind campaign has been embraced throughout the department, from doctors and nurses to registration and security staff, resulting in a noticeable cultural shift toward respect, inclusion, and positivity. Mazzone said she believes it has had an impact on overall patient satisfaction as well, citing increases in Press Ganey patient experience scores between Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023 Year-to-Date for both ED nurses and doctors.