Mitigating patient, provider & associate's hostility by improving everyone's experience

Healthcare's at risk

In your hospital, you've experienced, or witnessed, incivility and hostility between patient and healthcare worker, as well as between workers and associates. We're losing our humanity to ourselves and to each other.

Too many are stressed, pushed to their limits. They express frustration and anger due to the inequitable nurse-to-patient ratio and everyone's increasing time constraints to care for patients. Some peers and associates have reluctantly opted for early retirement. Others are approaching or experiencing burn-out, and in the extreme, some have taken their lives. Many say; “This is not why I got into medicine"

A bi-directional process is being undertaken to improve the provider, associate and patient experience. It's re-connecting leadership with healthcare workers, healthcare workers to each other and in turn to patients. It's a process of mindful presence, listening, validating and honoring one another, as best we can given time constraints.

I recently video interviewed a hospital network's COO on the topic of leadership's role in re-connecting with providers and associates. She shared an understanding of 'filling-up' the cups of those in her network.

I want people to know they're cared for, and you can't fake that, so, if you don't care don't pretend that you do. It's important for people to know that they're heard. I do think part of the work for us as leaders is to notice when things go right, to see when things go right, to hear when things go right, to acknowledge when things go right. That's how you fill-up their cups. so they have love and nurturing to give to someone else.

What patients need to know

In some hospital networks, a variety of internal measures are being undertaken to create programs to deal with this growing healthcare worker crisis.

One program is PACT (Peer Associate Care Team) Here, all levels of healthcare workers are connecting with one another to recognize peers and associates that may be approaching burn-out or experiencing a personal life crisis.

When my Medical Educational Resources team was contracted to create our network's PACT video, I took the peer-to-peer training. What was taught? 1) Be a compassionate listener 2) Validate feelings and concerns? 3) Don’t try to fix the person 4) If appropriate, offer available resources that may bring value to that person.

While soley a practice of peer-to-peer connections (no consultants), programs like PACT are proving to be an effective measure to mitigate hostility, burn-out and to help retain talent.

A Teaching Academy is another educational and revitalizing program we created video content for. Here, medical providers, from varying disciplines, sign-on as ‘scholars’. They connect with one another to improve performance, restore their self-relevance and improve both the patient and provider/associate experience. Many of these scholar projects are actively bringing sustained value to our hospitals.

These are just two very powerful actions undertaken by our hospital network to retain and restore healthcare workers to improve both theirs, and their patients' experience. More satisfied healthcare workers = More satisfied patients

How leaders participate

While video interviewing scores of our network's management, providers and associates, and creating over 100 video assets, many expressed the need to see, and be seen more, by leadership.

As leaders became more present to workers, they validated more of their challenges and frustrations. A re-connection is made by communicating: ‘I see you, I hear you and I want you to know that I'm aware of how much you matter."?

Below are a few suggestions from our interviews for opportunities to restore a sense of connectivity.

Increased Town Halls Here, whether on-site or virtual, senior leadership displayed ‘presence’ and visibility with staff. It enabled leaders to hear what’s sometimes beneath the radar and being withheld from them.

Many years ago, I interviewed Kevin Burke, Chairman, CEO and President of ConEd. When asked what’s of the utmost importance to him, and expected of his leaders and managers, he replied, “If I’m not made aware of serious issues, in a timely manner, and my leaders may be too afraid, or unaware, to tell me about it, they’re not leading, and our organization's in trouble."???

Rounding Through our video interviews, many shared that pre-pandemic, leadership would occasionally attend 'Rounds' and that meant a great deal to them. It became another opportunity to re-connect.

Signage/billboards Some networks feature images and statements from 'best-practice' providers and associates, who exemplify compassion, empathy, & authentic communications. These represent the heart of the network - its people. Images and statements can appear as posters within the hospital, on the public website and internal intranet, on billboards and in the press. No clever language, metaphors or current phraseology is as authentic as hearing from the heart of those who serve you. It also powerfully communicates to donors and to the community.

What's improving the provider/associate/patient experience?? A bi-directional process that's re-connecting, recognizing, honoring and being a bit more present to one another; leadership to healthcare workers, healthcare workers to each other and in turn to patients. More Satisfied Healthcare Workers = More Satisfied Patients.

Let’s continue working together to be present to ‘see and hear’ one another, despite whatever constraints life puts before us. It's time.

About Medical Educational Resourecs (MER)

MER was created many years ago, as I began serving on our network's ethics committee.The committee was comprised of providers, nurses, case workers, PA's, social workers, psychiatrists and a variety of workers and community members. Almost 40 members in total.

I observed how many of my fellow ethics committee members exemplified 'best practices', meaning, skills as communicators, their ability to engage, listen and validate.?

Heading?a video marketing and communications company, our team began video documenting and editing their insights and skill sets to create content for wellness, educational, retention and recruiting programs. These resources can be leveraged for donors, the community, and for legislative outreach. One body of content served multiple purposes and needs. That's ROI

This work is uplifting, inspiring and hope-filled and I’m grateful to participate in these collaborative efforts.