Take Action

Implement Leading Practices

Strategic Leadership and Foundations for QWL

Show senior leadership involvement (show they support and reinforce the importance of QWL issues, identify a senior champion for regularly reporting to the Board on progress of the initiative, expect all senior leaders be accountable for QWL and model healthy leadership styles).
Ensure mission, vision and/or values statement acknowledges that people are the health organization's greatest asset.
Ensure you have a highly functioning joint health and safety committee and consider asking them to implement the QWL/Healthy Workplace Initiative.
Ensure the needs of all providers and volunteers working in health facilities (including physicians and others who may not receive remuneration directly from the organization) are taken into consideration, and offer access to QWL/Healthy workplace programs and services regardless of the employment relationship.
Ensure the organization's Health and Safety policy (or a separate policy) includes a focus on the promotion of mental, physical and social well-being in the workplace; and that it outlines clear roles and responsibilities for action.
Identify the most relevant healthy workplace model for your organization that approaches health from a comprehensive and broad perspective.
Integrate HR, QWL, disability prevention and management system, wellness programs, safety (patient/client and employee), organizational development and environmental initiatives into an overall healthy healthcare workplace plan. Identify goals, timelines and outcome measures. Link with other quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving organizational performance and patient/client care processes.
Develop a strong client focus for the healthy workplace plan. Include the needs of both internal and external clients. Determine employee QWL needs and key safety (employee and patient/client) risks. Survey employees using a tool that will allow for comparisons across units within organizations and also will allow for benchmarking with similar organizations.
Prioritize QWL issues and link these priorities to the organization's strategic direction and business operating plans. Involve health, safety, human resource and risk management professionals in the organization's strategic planning processes.
Evaluate and communicate continuously throughout the initiative
Share what you have learned and diffuse the successful practices to other parts of the organization and externally.

A healthy and supportive work environment is the crucial factor in creating robust employment relationships. This includes physical, social, and psychological aspects of the workplace.

A comprehensive systems approach to promoting a climate of health and safety, which includes taking into account workplace organizational factors and physical and psychological hazards is the best way to improve the healthcare workplace and thereby patient safety.