Recent headlines question doctors’ ability to cope with demand over the busy winter period1.
In the last seven years, workloads in general practice have increased by 16%, with practices seeing an extra 80 patients a week2.
At the same time, healthcare reform initiatives have added to existing pressures , with the expectation to accomplish more with less resources, resulting in long hours, heavy workloads, and chronic stress.
With no indication that both the rate of patient demand and the pace of reform will slow, governing boards must do everything they can to foster a healthy environment at all levels, as increased workloads on executives, managers, and clinicians can result in impaired judgement and poor decision-making.
The following tips are designed to address the troubling trend of over-worked staff in healthcare settings:
- Conduct regular screenings to measure stress levels and gauge effect on decision-making, handling workload, and, if relevant, leadership style. Screening methods should focus on core symptoms and behaviours associated with stress, such as:
- Constant distraction
- Excessive criticism of staff
- Chronic impatience
- Being overly hurried/rushed
- Solicit feedback from colleagues concerning common signs of underlying and untreated stress, such as a pattern of missed deadlines and micro-management.
- Offer educational programmes designed to help healthcare professionals, managers and executives manage stress. Time-management and priority-setting sessions , for example, can help with how to work productively rather than frenziedly, while lessening the feeling of being overwhelmed.
- Emphasise transparency to avoid misinformation and potentially misleading staff and patients.
- Clearly communicate strategic goals and explain how individual contributions are valued and essential to group success.
- Recognise work well done. By routinely acknowledging and rewarding the constructive effort of colleagues and subordinates, as well as conscientiousness and consideration of others, leaders within healthcare can help maintain a positive, productive and humane work environment in even the harshest and most volatile of industry climates.
Doing all of this takes time and requires buy in from staff at every level, but investing here will likely save time in the long run and lead to significantly improved morale, productivity, recruitment and retention, and will considerably reduce the risk of errors being made, documentation not being completed and complaints and claims being received.
Sources:
1http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38453534
2http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/05/gps-at-crisis-point-as-new-figures-reveal-unsustainable-pressure/
I'm Caroline White, Risk Control Director for International Healthcare at CNA Hardy, and I have over 25 years’ experience in the Healthcare sector. Follow CNA Hardy’s blog series on LinkedIn.
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