By Jay Juffre
Recently I was speaking with a nurse who had simply abandoned the four walls of the hospital for an easier gig at a medical spa. I had asked her why and she said simply, ‘I was completely burned out.’ She explained that prior to COVID she and the other nurses could easily predict their manageable caseload. But since then, the number of patients they needed to care for would sometimes, as much as, double. She had had enough. She also commented on the lack of true appreciation from the health system she worked at. On the final day of my six-month battle with Lymphoma, I exited my hospital room for the very last time to find all the nurses who had taken care of me cheering. My immediate thought was, “I should be celebrating them …” Contrast that with this. On their first day of employment, all Apple Store employees are greeted on the showroom floor to applause (in front of customers) by the entire team (they also get the same gesture on their last day working there). At the end of the day, being a nurse or member of the staff in the medical field is stressful. People are talking with their feet as burnout and frustration gets to a breaking point. Add to this the fact that most experts site staffing and workforce needs as one of the biggest issues the health care community is facing. In 2024, ask how your organization can better show gratitude for the team you employ to take care of the patient. What can you do to better celebrate the staff and really show you care. In a nutshell, the best places to work tend to have less trouble filling vacancies than the places where people feel less appreciated. Make 2024 your best year yet in terms of employee retention and engagement. It may also become your best year financially as well. All the best in 2024.
