Doctors are often stressed and feel burnout because they do not have enough time to devote to patients, to monitor electronic records and to carry out administrative work. Hospital managers need to stimulate a positive work atmosphere, financial well-being of employees, their emotional support and healthy habits.
PLX Academy · Personal Experience · 14 February 2022
Burnout in hospitals
A Harvard Business Review survey found that 60% of respondents quite often felt burnout during the pandemic while 85% said their well-being had declined over the past year. Meanwhile, a study by the American Psychological Association found that 84% of adults experienced emotions associated with prolonged stress during the pandemic. Healthcare workers are more exposed to stress than others and experience exhaustion in their jobs. This condition often comes from the pressure to provide quality care despite the increased workload.
Doctors are often stressed and feel burnout because they do not have enough time to devote to patients, monitor electronic records, and carry out administrative work. This is often due to a lack of staff in hospitals. To reduce the burnout of hospital staff, wellness programs for mental and physical well-being are implemented. They improve the quality of life of staff and at the same time raise the level of care in hospitals with lower costs, safety, and patient satisfaction.
For wellness programs to be adopted and accepted, i.e. to have a result, they must be based on the needs, desires, and the specific situation in the hospital. Here are some important aspects that affect the mental and physical well-being of hospital staff, enabling them to feel healthy, motivated, and happy in the workplace.
→ Work environment
The work environment is most important for developing employee performance. Although 94% of employers know this, they often ignore the same fact. In a positive work environment, medical staff are less stressed and more easily cope with burnout. An unambiguous understanding of a positive work environment, and such a perception of hospital staff, is crucial in combating staff depletion.
A positive work environment does not only apply to beautiful workspaces. Organizational culture also contributes to its creation, as a set of collective values, common goals, behaviors, and practices which are characteristic of a certain organization. Hospitals, which have a positive organizational culture are a challenge for the best and most talented staff. Therefore, the biggest mistake of employers is to let the organizational culture be built spontaneously. They need to define and set their principles.
→ Culture of expression
It may seem simple but it is very important how hospital managers address their employees. It is also important how employees communicate with each other. It increases their well-being and makes it easier for them to carry out their daily responsibilities. The use of certain phrases and inappropriate tones by the employer can make employees feel that they are completely losing their independence in performing their work tasks and that their work is not respected. This makes them more easily exhausted and lose motivation to work. Therefore, depending on the hierarchy in the organization, the address should be adjusted in a way that employees are a “team of colleagues” and employers are a “leader” of the same team.
→ Financial well-being
Ensuring the financial well-being of hospital staff greatly affects the way they spend their free time. When relaxed, medical workers are relieved of the stress and exhaustion of work. There are numerous mental health initiatives proposed and implemented in hospitals. According to the “Washington Post”, they include various training, hiring more people in administration, preparing meals, organizing cleaning of the employees’ homes, etc.
→ Healthy life
Taking care of your physical health is one of the best ways to improve your mental health. In times of stress, good habits must not slip through the “cracks”. This means a healthy diet, good sleep, maintaining a high level of hygiene, and regular exercise. Good habits should be encouraged in hospitals. Small things, such as promoting a healthy diet at work, suggestions for riding a bicycle or scooter instead of a car or public transport, are enough to get you started.
This can be done through subsidized schemes for the purchase of bicycles or scooters, the provision of exercise equipment, etc. Finally, with the improvement of the well-being of the medical staff, the work of the hospital is improved, the costs for quality care are reduced, and most importantly, the satisfaction of the patients is increased.
→ Emotional support
To provide emotional support to staff, hospital managers need to talk openly with them about any changes, personal or professional issues. Programs that include relaxation techniques, working with therapists, and flexible working hours can greatly help. By reducing stress, burnout is reduced, and all this contributes to greater productivity in work.
