Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ - Champion Spotlight Series - Humana Takes Nurse Well-Being Seriously
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We are pleased to shine the spotlight on Humana, an exceptional Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Champion.
For many people, the phrase “insurance company” doesn’t conjure up an association with nurses. But at Humana, a community of thousands of nurses are at at the heart of the company’s clinical programs and services. Nurses are ingrained in nearly every function, from technology to human resources to marketing. That’s why Humana makes nurses’ needs, preferences, and priorities a top priority.
Health and Well-Being Company-Wide
Humana realized the need to address the well-being of its nurses, to improve their physical and mental health. It also acknowledged nurses’ self-actualization goals relating to professional development, career advancement, financial security, and sense of community.
Research reflects that nurses tend to put others ahead of themselves. Yet nurses need to take care of themselves in order to take care of others effectively.
“I reached out to understand ANA’s Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN),” said Joanie Howard, BSN, RN, CMCN, senior business clinical professional at Humana. “The inspirational campaign to help nurses improve their health and well-being resonated immediately. It aligns so closely with our priorities as an organization focused on creating exceptional experiences for our nurses.”
The organization is actively involved in various HNHN activities. Through a partnership with the American Nurses Foundation, Humana is supporting three 2019 health challenges. Also, Humana supported the recent 2019 National Nurses Week Webinar, Nurses4Us: Elevating the Profession!
Humana’s leaders have also spoken at ANA Enterprise events, including the 2019 ANA Quality & Innovation Conference.
A Culture of Well-Being
Humana has a culture focused on improving the health of its associates, and HNHN aligns with many of its company-wide health and wellness initiatives. Some of these include:
- Go365: a wellness and rewards program where members earn points for completing healthy lifestyle activities like preventive screenings and fitness activities
- Hundred Day Dash: a step challenge for the entire company including senior leadership
- Walking meetings: a culture that promotes standing and/or walking during in-person and virtual meetings
- Take 10: ideas for 10-minute activities that promote physical activity, mindfulness, and meditation are emailed daily
- Preventive programs: health coaching and peer-to-peer support initiatives for associates at risk of conditions such as diabetes
- Volunteering incentives: all employees are encouraged to log and be recognized for volunteer activities, and even receive 8 hours per year to take off work in order to volunteer; many in-person meetings also involve a volunteer element
- Nutrition: many locations offer healthy discounted lunch and catering options
An Online Community
Roughly 76% of Humana’s nurses work from home, which can feel isolating and make it harder to find time for physical activity. Humana is passionate about promoting communitites that attract nurses.
Humana nurses are active in a social platform (called Buzz). This platform helps them find clinicians and other associates who have similar interests — ranging from sports and hair color to leadership styles and professional journeys. Nurses are featured in Voice of Humana Nurse podcasts, regular Town Hall meetings, peer-to-peer recognition platforms, and executive events. Humana also sponsors an HNHN Facebook group where nurses can connect.“Nurses are a diverse population, with unique preferences, interests, and priorities,” said Kathy Driscoll, RN, BSN, CCM, chief nursing officer at Humana. “In order to be relevant to our nurses, we need to offer a range of channels that encourage nurses to share their input, collaborate with each other, and access information and resources that are meaningful to them.”
Teaming Up to Promote Nurse Well-Being
Humana’s focus on nurse well-being helps the organization work toward its goal of achieving 20% more “Healthy Days.” This goal comes from the Healthy Days Measures developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It’s based on a set of questions designed to assess a person’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL), meaning their perceived physical and mental health over time.
“We’re happy to say we achieved this goal this year,” said Kathy. The HNHN program helped make it happen.
“We see the strong influence nurses have on communities, patients, and coworkers, and we share concern for the stress that the nurse role can place on someone,” said Kathy. “We are honored to team up with ANA to improve their health.”
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05/09/2019 12:58pm CDT
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