Strengthening Workgroup Culture: Defining Behavior Expectations

Sharon Stemm, MSN, RN, NE-BC

Andrew D. Harding, DNP, RN, CENP

Nurse leaders carry a dual charge: build cohesive, effective teams and sustain the healthy work environments those teams depend on (Steiner, 2024). It is demanding work in the best of times. In a workforce now spanning four generations and, in a field where incivility and workplace violence remain among the most persistent threats to staff well-being, workgroup culture is no longer a soft concern (Thompson, 2022; AONL Foundation & Joslin, 2024). It is a direct driver of recruitment, retention and engagement.