Collaborative Nursing: Addressing Generational Differences in Teams

This report delves into the dynamics of a multigenerational nursing workforce, analyzing the characteristics of Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. It explores how these generational differences impact teamwork, highlighting specific skills each generation brings to the table, as well as the types and causes of conflict that can arise. The report provides effective team-building strategies tailored to each generation's needs, aiming to foster a positive and productive working environment. It emphasizes the importance of understanding generational communication styles and work ethics to reduce conflict and enhance collaboration within nursing teams. The conclusion underscores the challenges of managing a generationally diverse workforce and stresses the need for leaders to implement strategies that promote effective teamwork and meet the specific needs of each generation.

Running head: COLLABORATIVE NURSING
Collaborative nursing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Main characteristics of each of the four generations.......................................................................2
Veterans.......................................................................................................................................2
Baby Boomers.............................................................................................................................3
Generation X................................................................................................................................3
Millennials...................................................................................................................................4
Specific skills that contribute to team work....................................................................................4
Types and causes of conflict within a multigenerational team........................................................4
Effective team building strategies...................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
In the current scenario, the nursing workforce is made up of nursing leaders and staff
from the four different generations. These comprises of four generations; traditionalists or
veterans (1925–1945), Baby Boomers (1946–1964), Gen Xers (born 1963–1980), and the
Millennials (born 1980–2000) having 5%, 40%, 40% and 15% proportion in the nursing
workforce (Bell, 2013). Veterans are dedicated, loyal and hard working, Baby Boomers are
productive, optimistic, workaholic, Generation Xers is independent, cynical and informal, and
Millennials are impatient, confident and social. Due to generational differences, there are varying
perceptions and therefore, the following report addresses the challenges of working effectively
within the multigenerational team environment and improving to support all generations.
Main characteristics of each of the four generations
Veterans
The oldest cohort of workers in the nursing workforce grew during World War II and
Great Depression events when they were taught about responsibility, hard work and sacrifice.
They are the ones who understand rules at workplace, loyal, patriotic and have strong working
ethics. They look up to their leaders for guidance and direction and have traditional nuclear
families. They are least comfortable with technology and mostly resistant to change as compared
to other generations. Veterans are comfortable with communication systems that build trust and
inclusive. This generation rather than technology use prefer written or face-to-face
communication (Sullivan Havens, Warshawsky & Vasey, 2013).

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Baby Boomers
This generation arises after the post-war economy. The norms were nuclear families who
were encouraged to express creatively and value individualism. This is the most egocentric
generation who spent their lives rewriting rules and having disintegrating families. This
generation is the largest cohort as they occupy various nursing leadership positions having strong
working ethics as a defining part of their working attitude and nursing shortages takes place on a
large scale until there is redesigning for retaining this generation in the workplace. They are
overachievers and workaholics who are critical thinkers having a sense of personal fulfilment
and accomplishment from work. Baby boomers are the most productive generation having a
direct, open and less formal communication. This generation enjoy the processing of
information, valuing staffs to provide them an opportunity for discussion. Although, they prefer
telephone or face-to-face communication, they use email and quite comfortable with technology
(Hendricks & Cope, 2013).
Generation X
The generation comprises of members who got divorced or raised their children as single
parents. In this generation, both parents work outside home and raised their children as latchkey
kids. These formative experiences have made them self-reliance and have proper work-life
balance describing them as less loyal to the workplace culture. They prefer technology use as it
went major advances in those formative years that became an important part of generation X
individuals. This generation is smaller than Boomers and it was difficult to attract this generation
towards nursing profession as they saw they did not find nursing having entrepreneurial
opportunities or career growth like other jobs. This generation first used television and found
communication through technology appealing to them (Keys, 2014).

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Millennials
This generation is the second largest cohort and were raised during the time when
terrorism, violence and drugs came into existence. Parents structured and nurtured their lives and
drawn them towards families for security and safety having merged families. This generation
accepts multiculturalism and make instant communication through technology by cellular
phones being a part of their lives. This is the smallest cohort population in nursing workforce;
however, it is growing and shows high level of interest in nursing profession (Price et al., 2013).
Specific skills that contribute to team work
Veteran generation is hardworking that can contribute to a successful teamwork
environment. They learned strong work ethics from their parents and believed that hard work
gives earning through gruelling hours while getting ahead in their careers. Baby Boomers are
workaholics as they relish overtime and are highly committed to their roles. They are good team
players who can work well with others in a team. They can become excellent mentors in the
organization. Gen X is considered best workers and favour work-life balance. They are the
biggest revenue generators who efficiently work in a team. Lastly, Gen Y is independent
workers who are concerned with social responsibility and ethics of the organization. They do not
possess characteristics that can contribute to team working (Bell, 2013).
Types and causes of conflict within a multigenerational team
There are various colliding issues in the organization. Gen X is very independent that
clashes with dependent millennials. Millennials are not respectful and on other hand, Boomers
are automatically respectful. While Boomers are workaholic in nature, Gen X and Millennials

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maintain work-life balance. Millennials and X Gen are quite technologically advanced and on the
other hand, Boomers and Traditionalists are technologically challenged (Murray, 2013).
Effective team building strategies
Effective team strategies are required to reduce conflict and promote positive working
environment in acknowledging the generational differences among the staff and building
strengths in motivating each individual. A multigenerational workforce has various benefits;
every generation brings with them different talents and skills to the workforce that helps to create
an environment that offer advantage to the organizational by enhancing productivity. In a mixed-
age diverse workforce, organizations value experience, knowledge and skill that are above
seniority, age or gender where employees have the opportunity to share, teach and learn for one
another.
To meet the needs of Traditionalists, strategies like providing traditional rewards,
mentoring and in offering them less physically, demanding positions can be used. For Boomers,
strategies that involve recognition for their experiences like public recognition, promotion of
gradual retirement and opportunities for sharing expertise like mentor or preceptor can be helpful
in meeting their needs and ways to promote team building. For X Gen, career advancement,
independence and work life balance is important, therefore, the team leader should provide them
with opportunities that develop their skills and leadership traits. There should be avoidance of
micromanaging and involve this generation into decision-making (Hillman, 2014). Millennials
are socializing and multitasking, therefore, team leaders should encourage teamwork by
providing them a supportive working environment. They should encourage development of
leadership qualities and provide feedback and most importantly, access to social networking and

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building technology as they technologically advanced. Communication strategies also need to be
expanded as Boomers and Veterans appreciate verbal communication while Millennials and Gen
X prefer use of instant messages, e-mail and corporate broadcasts (Coulter & Faulkner, 2014).
Conclusion
Although, facilitation of growth and development of tam members is an important
nursing leadership trait, however, it is a challenging task to manage a generationally diverse
nursing workforce. The four generations vary in different ways in terms of families, work
attitude and communication styles. There are types of conflicting issues between these
generations that make it difficult for the organizations to establish collaborative nursing.
Therefore, it is important for the team leaders to establish strategies that meet the needs of each
generation and promote effective team working in the organization. While focusing on
generational needs, the effective team working can be enhanced.

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References
Bell, J. A. (2013). Five generations in the nursing workforce: Implications for nursing
professional development. Journal for nurses in professional development, 29(4), 205-
210.
Coulter, J. S., & Faulkner, D. C. (2014). The multigenerational workforce. Professional case
management, 19(1), 46-51.
Hendricks, J. M., & Cope, V. C. (2013). Generational diversity: what nurse managers need to
know. Journal of advanced nursing, 69(3), 717-725.
Hillman, D. R. (2014). Understanding multigenerational work-value conflict resolution. Journal
of Workplace Behavioral Health, 29(3), 240-257.
Keys, Y. (2014). Looking ahead to our next generation of nurse leaders: Generation X Nurse
Managers. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(1), 97-105.
Murray, E. J. (2013). Generational differences: Uniting the four-way divide. Nursing
management, 44(12), 36-41.
Price, S. L., McGillis Hall, L., Angus, J. E., & Peter, E. (2013). Choosing nursing as a career: a
narrative analysis of millennial nurses' career choice of virtue. Nursing inquiry, 20(4),
305-316.

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Sullivan Havens, D., Warshawsky, N. E., & Vasey, J. (2013). RN work engagement in
generational cohorts: the view from rural US hospitals. Journal of Nursing
Management, 21(7), 927-940.