By: Joshua Finley
The healthcare system can be chaotic and complex, and because of this, employee treatment can be an afterthought. Patients and their health are at the heart of the industry, and they should be, but it’s important not to let clinicians get left behind. After all, doctors are people, too, and it’s time to treat them like they matter. These days, a high salary and title are not enough to get employees to stay, and that’s the same for the healthcare industry. A toxic work environment of poor management, unsustainable schedules, and heavy workloads breaks frontline workers down. Their health and wellness are in the balance, and now is the time to act. If employees are not cared for physically and mentally, how can they possibly care for their patients?
Studies show that somewhere around 49% of clinicians are feeling burnt out in their current roles, with 20% of them feeling depressed. Nearly half of healthcare professionals deal with personal issues regarding their jobs, which can be attributed to the workplace. Just because physicians care for people for a living does not mean they are superhuman. They experience the same emotions, illnesses, and life experiences as everyone else. This means that they deserve a little breathing room in their jobs so that they can take care of themselves. When doctors are pushed to their limits without proper rest time, they risk their patients’ health.
“Just because doctors and nurses care for people for a living does not mean they have to put their health on the back burner. Their health is just as important and could be a deciding factor in the type of care they provide to their patients. If a doctor is not feeling well, how can they possibly take care of anyone else? Having a balance between their physical and mental health and the health of their patients is necessary for healing on both sides,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
That’s why finding a balance is key for patients and employees. Healthcare organizations and leaders must prioritize a healthy work-life balance for their employees. This means finding innovative ways to give workers time for their personal lives. A big issue facing the healthcare industry is staffing shortages, meaning other employees have to work longer shifts, cutting into their own time for rest. This creates a snowball effect of turnover. To get people to stay, leaders must provide a healthy work environment promoting growth and training opportunities. The more employees feel they can reach their full potential, the more they will be encouraged to stay.
Another way to promote balance in the workplace is to avoid overloading employees with mindless tasks. Physicians are there to care for patients, not to do countless hours of paperwork. Healthcare organizations can invest in technology that automates this task so clinicians can return to the job. Not only will this free up their time to help patients heal and improve, but it will hopefully make their shifts less stressful. The more work people pile onto one another, the easier it will be for them to feel overwhelmed and burnt out.
“This means that healthcare organizations need to support employee health at every level. Providing sustainable workloads, schedules, and benefits is the key to creating that balance. Doctors and nurses might feel like they can’t prioritize their health, so it’s up to leaders to do that for them,” Worthy says.
The healthcare system can be tricky to navigate, but leaders must put themselves in their employees’ shoes. The more clinicians are burnt out, the harder it will be for them to give their patients their all. When patients’ health is on the line, the priority should be to ensure they receive the highest care level. This means frontline workers must also be cared for, and finding a balance does just that. Doctors deserve the same attention as their patients.
Published by: Josh Tatunay
