Photo by: wutzkoh
Clinicians are people too, and it’s important to treat them as such. Far too often are doctors, nurses and frontline workers seen solely as employees, made to help their patients get the level of care they deserve. They are spending their shifts going the extra mile to get people back to a good standing of health, all while doing other administrative tasks. Not only does this take a toll on their physical body, but their mental capacity as well. Who is taking care of them when they feel sick? Healthcare leaders and executives need to make changes and decisions on behalf of their employees well-being, not just for profits. When employees are taken care of, it will create a chain reaction of positivity throughout the system.
One of the biggest issues today facing the healthcare industry is employee burnout. Burnout is best described as a constant feeling of being overwhelmed, exhausted and empty. These feelings can cause people and employees to feel hopeless and stressed without an end in sight, which can take a serious toll on their mental and physical health. In the healthcare sector, heavy workloads and unsustainable work schedules are causing more and more employees to become burnout and potentially leave.
“Clinicians are being overworked both on and off the frontlines. Their workloads are not just full of taking care of patients, but they also have to spend countless hours doing paperwork. No wonder they are feeling burnt out. They have virtually no break in their shifts to breathe or truly focus on their patients, because they are swamped with administrative tasks. Doctors and nurses have a huge weight on their shoulders and it’s time to take care of them,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
Instead of solely focusing on patient health, clinicians are having to spend their shifts doing paperwork and administrative tasks that could be automated through technology. Not only is this putting patient health at risk, but it is adding to the heavy workloads and responsibilities that frontline workers already have. This never-ending to-do list can create a massive feeling of stress and anxiety, because it leaves no breathing room for employees. How can they take a break for themselves if their work keeps getting piled up?
“Instead of overworking them, it’s important to invest in technology or programs that will give them more time in their days. Why should they be spending hours on paperwork, when technology is advanced enough to do it for them? Just because clinicians are clocked in does not mean they have to do multiple jobs at once,” Worthy says.
Beyond the heavy workloads that are putting weight on their shoulders, frontline workers are expected to work unsustainable hours. This could be due to the nature of the industry or the fact that burnout is causing people to leave, which leads to staffing shortages. Employees who put themselves first and leave the industry, are creating holes in the system. Now this is not their fault, but healthcare organizations need to realize that employee satisfaction is what will keep people in their roles. In order to decrease turnover, leaders should listen to their employees and create positive changes that will encourage them to stay. This could start with creating more sustainable schedules, which gives employees time to live their lives outside the hospital room.
Clinician mental health should not be put on the backburner, and that means decreasing burnout by whatever means necessary. The more healthcare workers are struggling due to heavy workloads and unsustainable schedules, adds to the potential they will leave, which will create a cycle of turnover and burnout across the industry. Making small changes to prioritize employee mental health will help the system as a whole be more profitable. When both patients and employees are taken care of, the healthcare industry is unstoppable.