Exclusive Article by Dawn Castell at EMRIndustry
Working in the health sector comes with mountains of stress and unbelievable pressure during emergencies. However, there are ways hospitals can reduce tension and stress on the staff bearing the brunt of everything. These are some of practices hospitals can follow to keep their team motivated even during stressful conditions.
Lead by Example
Of course, workers want to see their employer doing what they expect of them. Showering your workers with compliments and motivational quotes through email while you’re seated may not make any difference. Workers will probably feel demoralized and opt to quit if they feel like all the pressure is on them and the employer isn’t willing to take charge.
Divide their Work as Little as Possible
The chances are that some workers will develop a negative mentality when some staff works in the field or branches while others in the headquarters. However, it is pretty hard to avoid this, but the HR department can make everyone understand the value and need for everyone working towards the corporate goal. It gets worse when only a few people are given authority over certain aspects and when all health professionals work in multitudes of different departments. It hamstrings even the simplest processes, frustrates workers, and makes it hard for them to find solutions.
Listen to Complaints
Complaints are the last thing that the managers would want to hear when everyone in an organization is focused on their role. Workers will over time understand that procedure changes are unlikely to take place when everybody is stressed and working under pressure. However, that doesn’t mean that the management can’t ask them to put in more effort towards the success of the company. You can promise workers to make follow-ups at the right time if potential changes can’t happen right away. Consider scheduling a meeting with them to allow them to raise their concerns. Making workers feel like you value them despite any hardship will make them more motivated and productive than before.
Reward Ongoing Efforts
Appreciating workers for their unmatched achievements should hopefully be a no-brainer to any worker holding a managerial position. It should also not be only for handling a complaint or hitting KPIs. Of course, every worker wants to feel that their dedication and continued focus is appreciated and noticed when the time is of essence and pressure ramps up. Health facilities can now use an employee net promoter system to measure how loyal their staff are before rewarding them for their hard work. Providing positive feedback for exceptional work will go a long way to keep stressful health workers motivated and productive. Feedback can be as simple as saying thank you for meeting the deadline or exceeding expectations.
Stay Calm
It can be challenging to keep workers motivated and productive during stressful situations. However, it’s up to you as their leader and role model to inspire confidence and maintain order. Workplace stress often comes from the top as nurses and lab technicians absorb the uncertainty felt from care physicians and specialists. As such, managers should ensure that workers in leadership roles are calm and focused even in stressful situations.
Encourage Open Conversation
Of course, communication is crucial in every organization, but open communication is essential in keeping a supportive and enabling environment when a stressful event happens. A health worker can witness more tragic events in one day than a professional accountant can in a year. As such, health facility managers should encourage everyone to be honest and open about their frustrations and challenges to maintain a motivated workforce. Devote some time to meet everyone at least once per month to listen to their concerns and support them during stressful situations. Of course, doctors are responsible for the care of their patients, but they can’t neglect their wellbeing as well as that of their co-workers. Recent research claims that nurses that use reliable interpersonal communication can support their psychological and emotional development, keep high morale, and reduce work-related stress. A useful workplace communication strategy not only impacts the success of the health facility but the overall wellbeing and health of every staff as well.
