Hitting a hole in one in the healthcare industry means finding a balance

Finding a balance can sometimes be a swing and a miss. Trial and error is the key to finding things that work for you, but at least it’s a start. Balance is necessary for everyone, no matter what profession they are in, but especially when it comes to healthcare. The healthcare industry is super busy and constantly changing, so creating an equilibrium for employees is not always the top priority, but perhaps it should be. Patient care is at the heart of the industry, and sometimes it can rely on whether or not their clinicians are taken care of as well. Employees on the frontline cannot possibly take care of their patients, if they are not taking care of themselves. 

This responsibility should not necessarily fall on the employees alone, healthcare executives and leaders need to support them internally and externally. Balance sometimes relies on how the industry is treating its employees. If healthcare organizations are providing a sub par work-life balance, employees will not be able to hit a hole in one for their patients. 

Studies show that a work-life balance can be more important than the amount of pay clinicians receive. 85% of physicians say that having a balance is one of top things they consider when taking a new role. Because this sentiment is evolving across the industry, it means the industry has to adapt with it. Clinicians are people too. They get sick, go through personal struggles and get burnt out through work. Keeping them happy and healthy means their patients will be as well. 

“Just because doctors and nurses are taking care of people for a living does not mean they have to put their own health on the backburner. 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.

Creating more sustainable workloads is one of the biggest ways healthcare executives can ensure their employees are taken care of. Having a to-do list that is full of paperwork bogs down frontline workers and keeps them from doing what they are meant to do, which is help patients. Doing work like this that can so easily be automated decreases employees’ feeling of self accomplishment and only adds to the amount of stress they already have. 

When clinicians feel overwhelmed and overworked, this can impact their physical and mental health. Dealing with side effects of stress can make the burnout and workplace imbalance even stronger. If employees are sick and dealing with their own illness, patient care can sometimes fall on the backburner. Healthcare executives need to prioritize a balance for their employees so they do not feel this way. The healthcare industry is like a chain reaction, if one thing starts to fall apart the whole system is impacted. 

“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 industry can be a little finicky. Leaders and executives cannot just make changes blindly, they have to really dive deep into how they will positively impact their employees. It’s like practicing for a sport. If you do not take the time to figure out what works for you, it will most likely end in a swing and a miss. The healthcare industry, its employees and patients cannot afford this. Finding a balance for frontline workers’ mental and physical health will help tee them up to hit a hole in one with their patients.