Stress Busters: How One Emergency Department Built a Social and Morale Team

• Nurses, ED technicians, and secretaries join forces at one hospital emergency department to create “stress busters” in the form of a social and morale team.
• From surprise gifts to donating to charity in honor of coworkers who lost a loved one, the program aimed to bring staff closer together.
• The team became more united as a result of the program.

Working in critical care units can be very stressful, even on a good day. In the Emergency Department (ED), you never know what is going to come through the door, whether it be CPR in progress, trauma, or a baby on the way.

Multiple Forces Join Together to Create ‘Stress Busters’

In our emergency department, we had a fantastic concept we called a Social and Morale Team. I’m not sure who exactly produced the idea, but I took it over. And with the help of a team of my peers, we managed to make even a horrible day in the ED a little bit brighter. The team was comprised of nurses, ED technicians, and secretaries.

To start, we collected dues from staff members who wanted to join, which was $20 for the year, along with their birthdate. We opened a checking account at the local credit union and got a debit card with which we could purchase what we needed to get this off the ground. It was not mandatory to join, but we had more than 125 staff members at one point (we were a huge ED)! Every member had a chance to participate in our special prize days and contests. Once a name was drawn, the winner was celebrated, and their name was removed from the pot, ensuring everyone had an equal opportunity to win.

The idea was simple: kindness and thoughtfulness go a long way when you’re having a not-so-great day at work. On a member’s birthday, they would receive a cupcake and a card with a birthday lottery ticket in it, and hopefully, the scratch-off would be a nice payout! It was the thought that counted and that someone remembered their special day. If someone gave birth, we gave them a card and a small gift to celebrate the new arrival. A wedding brought a gift card to a registry to get something they needed.

There were some sad occasions, such as when a staff member had a death in their family of an immediate family member. A donation was sent to the charity of their choosing.

‘Stress Busters’ in the Form of Sweet Treats and Prizes

There were numerous contests as well. One of the favorites was a glass bottle filled with Hershey’s Kisses or M&M’s. Whoever guessed the correct amount without going over won the jar of goodies and some lottery tickets. One of the funniest contests was to assume the proper number of popcorn kernels in the bottle, and yes, a team member counted, and I counted every kernel! The winner received a four-pack of tickets to a movie theater. The radio would always announce a national day, such as National Sangria or Chardonnay Day, and two members would receive a bottle of wine. One such day was National Guacamole Day. Two winners received avocados, guacamole chips, and a gift bag filled with Mexican foods. Pizzas were brought in to enjoy on National Pizza Party Day in May!

On National Pirate Day, which is Sept. 19, two friends created “Talk Like a Pirate Day.” A team member baked an appropriate pirate sheet cake. We purchased a plastic treasure chest, filled it with some goodies, and every member picked a prize from the chest, such as candy, keychains, and lottery tickets, to name just a few. Even our therapy dogs, who visited our ED patients, wore eye-patches and tri-corner pirate hats. Pets were also part of the festivities, and in March, on National Puppy Day, all those members who had dogs received dog bones for their furry friends. We did not play favorites, so on National Cat Day on Oct. 9, cat owners received a kitty toy.

The Bottom Line

The purpose of the Social and Morale Team was to make the staff laugh, join in, and celebrate our staff, who do a fantastic job every single day. It brought unity to our employees in the ED. The inclusivity of the activities emphasized equal opportunities for all staff members and helped to foster a sense of unity.

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