Nursing "Fun and Games"

Mary Ellen Halamicek and Donna Griffin, nurses at The Methodist Hospital’s labor and delivery unit, sat in their break room laughing over a deck of cards and a game board.

"Who said nursing couldn’t be fun and games?" asked Halamnicek, a registered nurse clinician and staff educator on the Dunn 6 West unit. "OK, your turn."

The nurses were playing their first game of "Performance Power: The Total Evaluation Tool," a new way of evaluating nurses at The Methodist Hospital.

"Well, it’s not exactly your typical game," said registered nurse Griffin, the unit’s nursing manager. "I’m having fun but I’m also learning a lot."

Performance Power was developed by the nursing leadership at Methodist and is based on a nursing performance management model which outlines the art, leadership and science of nursing.

It may be a game, but by no means is it a trivial pursuit of ideal nursing behaviors. Performance Power consists of a game board divided into novice, proficient and expert sections that correspond with several decks of color-coded cards that list behaviors of a nurse with that experience level.

If a nurse determines they exhibit the behavior listed on the card he or she places it in the corresponding column.

"Performance Power is designed to be played in small groups so that members of the group can discuss the expected behaviors of a Methodist nurse," said Johnie Leonard, registered nurse and director of the hospital’s emergency department.

Performance Power is another form of the traditional paper evaluation given annually to all staff nurses, but the game makes evaluation a group activity that fosters dialogue between peers and superiors, Leonard said.

The game is designed to facilitate peer input and feedback on performance in a fun, nonthreatening manner. It can also hold co-workers accountable when their expected behaviors are clearly outlined.

A nurse may find by talking with peers that he or she is strong in one area, but needs work in another.

Performance Power, which is currently being implemented into Methodist’s nursing evaluation program, is copywritten and may be sold to other health care organizations. Future proceeds will go to Methodist’s nursing foundation.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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