There has been a lot of recent discussion about physician burnout. There has not been as much dialogue surrounding burnout among other hospital or clinic staff (nurses, technicians, administrative staff, etc.). In this article, we are going to go through a few best practices for preventing burnout in your workplace. We’ll explain how they can be implemented in your workplace – whether you manage a surgical team, or have your own practice.
Physical Health is Important. Emphasize it.
Physical health and fitness are important elements to preventing burnout. If you’re physically healthy, your chances of burnout at work are cut down significantly and make you feel more energized. Emphasize physical health in your workplace. You can take short breaks throughout the day and encourage your team to go for a walk, or workout before or after your shift.
Encourage Support
Feeling isolated is a classic symptom of burnout. To combat feelings of isolation at work, encourage your staff to support each other. You want to make sure employees feel comfortable socializing when appropriate. While certain team members may carry primary responsibility and accountability on tasks, let everyone feel that others will kick in to help support the overall goals.
Take Short, Frequent Breaks
Not everyone on the team can accomplish this routinely – especially the surgeon. But when possible, take a few extra minutes for the stairs, a mini-meditation, or a private scream. This can create greater focus, efficiency, and productivity with critical work. Consider tracking average duration of procedures, complication rates, and other parameters when these strategies are implemented. Adjust as needed to create performance improvement.
Recognize the Work that Your Staff Does
Feeling under-appreciated or ineffective at work can easily lead to burnout at work. It’s important to make sure your staff feels valued. Recognize or reward excellent work and your employees will feel valued in the workplace.
Educate Staff & Co-workers on Burnout
Education is an essential part of burnout prevention. If you understand the warning signs and symptoms of burnout you can take action to prevent and treat it. Do your best to educate your staff and co-workers about burnout.
Whether you manage a surgical team at a hospital, or you’re in private practice, it’s important to remember that the hospital and clinic staff are part of the equation. Burnout is not just an issue reserved for surgeons.
SurgeonMasters has programs to assist individual surgeons, groups, and healthcare teams to incorporate these strategies in their workplace. Try these ideas out yourself and with your team. If you are struggling or wanting to magnify the positive impact, reach out to Team@SurgeonMasters.com for guidance.