By Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN
Above Water v2 (3)Choosing to work in today’s healthcare environment can be a difficult decision. Most people who choose a position in healthcare do so because of their desire to make a difference. They want to help other people, while improving
the overall public health.
Being a nurse is no different. Nurses enter the profession of nursing with a desire to teach, advocate, and care for patients. However practicing this heart-based care is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s
world of modern medicine.
Nurses are struggling. From locking themselves in the bathroom at work to crying all of the way home in the car, today’s nurses feel disconnected with the profession they entered into so passionately. Staffing
numbers are short; budgets have been cut; and advances in technology can make it hard to connect with the art of nursing.
Organizations know that their staff is burned out, but struggle with what can be done about it. Mid-level management
is caught between supporting frontline staff and answering to executive leadership. I am not sure who has it worse, but I can tell you from experience that everyone has it hard in healthcare these days.
So what can we do about it? Instead
of trying one tactic here or there that may or may not work for everyone- I encourage healthcare professionals to focus on resilience.
According to Merriam Webster, resilience is “the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens” or “the ability of something to return to its original shape after it has been pulled, stretched, pressed,
or bent.”
Think about healthcare--it stretches us. Bad things can happen. There is a need for us, the individual practicing in this crazy, chaotic world of healthcare to bounce back from time-to-time.
Now--if you or anyone
you ever know has ever experienced burnout--you know that there are options. You can continue down the negative spiral of burnout until it creates physical havoc on the body… and even maybe a chronic condition that never goes away. Or you can
put burnout to work for you! You can choose to bounce back after bad things happen or after you have been pulled, stretched, and pressed to your max.
It’s up to you. I will tell you that people do recover from burnout. They implement
strategies that help them prevent the downward spiral from happening again. They learn from the experience and bounce back so that they can continue working in the profession that they love.
How can we do this? How can we ensure that we
are a resilient employee, even if our organization is putting pressure on us more and more each day?
Three Ways to Promote and Be a Resilient Healthcare Employee
What are some suggestions you can add to help us all up-level our bedside manner? What tips would you recommend to a colleague? Be sure to tweet me @ElizabethScala. Thanks for reading!
About the Author: Keynote speaker and virtual conference host Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN partners with hospitals, nursing schools, and nurse associations to transform the field of nursing from the inside out. As the bestselling author of ‘Nursing from Within’, Elizabeth guides nurses and
nursing students to a change in perspective, helping them make the inner shift needed to better maneuver the sometimes challenging realities of being a caregiver. Elizabeth received her dual master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a certified coach and Reiki Master Teacher. Elizabeth lives in Maryland with her supportive husband and a playful pit bull.
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