Healthcare is tough. Whether you work directly with patients in a hospital or physician’s office, deal with administration issues such as compliance, insurance billing, Medicare/Medicaid compliance and reimbursements, or you’re involved at a higher level drafting policies or pursuing major changes, the healthcare industry currently faces some enormous hurdles. This constant stress of trying to manage your career while navigating political, business, personal and patient demands can make it difficult for you to focus on your work and can cause career burnout. In some of the highest-paid and most sought-after fields of healthcare, we’re currently seeing some of the highest rates of burnout, depression and general dissatisfaction. If you’re finding yourself and/or your staff in these situations, here are some ways to combat these issues:
Basic Needs
You are often taking care of others and their basic needs – what about you? Check in with how you are doing health wise. Are you eating, sleeping and exercising enough? Are there areas where you have fallen off track? If so, create intentions around the areas you need to bring focus back.
Bring Back the Purpose
Why did you start in this field? What is important to you about the work that you do? Each day ask yourself these questions and allow yourself to re-center around your core purpose in the healthcare field. This will help you change your mindset around challenges. With a clear purpose your energy will be focused on how you’re positioned to make a difference. It gives you power to remove the feeling of reacting and allow you to respond.
Change Your Assumptions
Perhaps there are priorities that aren’t really priorities. Ask yourself “What’s really important?” Provide ways for you and your team to question what you are doing and find out if it still makes sense. When you are in a system, it is easy to become a part of it and stop believing in hope for change. To start change, you must first question what you are taking as the truth. There are often other options which may free you from burdens that you need not have on your shoulders.
Rebuild the Team
Many of my clients are drained when they don’t have the support of the colleagues. Know that your teammates are likely feeling the same way. Do what you can to reconnect either by bringing in the collective bigger vision, implementing problem solving conversations, removing stumbling blocks that cause friction or bringing in outside help to redirect the ship.
Bring in a combination of the above – they are just the start to helping prevent burn out for you and for the team.
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