Our current focus on “resilience†as the issue may be adding to the problem
By Clay Holderman
In the trough between COVID outbreaks, my mind has been occupied with how to support our workforce in recovering from the traumas inflicted by this pandemic. In debriefing sessions, Schwartz Rounds and personal conversations, clinicians have shared with me their stories. They describe the feeling of “moral injury†from enforcing severe visitor restrictions. They share dramatic stories of treating multiple members of the same family and watching some recover and some succumb to the disease. They tell of the exhaustion from never-ending worry – both the anxiety of coming to work and the fear of taking it home.
I reached out to peers (CMO and COO) from 11 different health systems across the nation, and the discussion is similar everywhere. One revelation from all of those discussions is this – our current focus on “resilience†as the issue may be adding to the problem.
Many caregivers have told their organizations that the focus on resilience can be seen as one more thing that THEY have to fix – one more area where THEY haven’t measured up. “If only I were more resilient, I wouldn’t be so emotionally and physically exhausted. I have to be stronger…â€
We must change the dialogue. Merriam Webster defines resilience as “the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress.†What if, instead of focusing on the “capability†in this definition (which is internal to the caregiver), we focused on how the organization can help with the compressive stress and the recovery?
Clay, the portion that I read was spot on. As a Corporate Crisis Response Specialist, I see a lot of well -meaning people talk about resilience, without discussing post-traumatic growth and moving towards a new normal. I particularly appreciate the emphasis on capacity. In talking to many of my friends in the medical community, particularly in systems outside of Pres, they are feeling disheartened by the response of management. In their words, some of the non-medical leadership has pretty much said, "Thanks for your service, couldn't have done it without you." Once again, from my sources, there seem to be very few debriefs and/or After Action Reports. Thanks for the insight and I am proud of you as you live intentionally.
Culture catalyst helping healthcare leaders achieve high employee engagement, retention, and consistently positive patient experiences. I bring the magnifying glass, mirror and roadmap.
4 年Thank you for this insight and fresh perspective on the resilience conversation, Clay Holderman There’s so much more that can be done.
FAMILY EDUCATOR l PASTORAL CARE EDUCATOR l CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
4 å¹´Agree. Be present, show empathy..... validate.... times are so very hard
Founder bereavement.co.uk.Supportive Care /Programme Advisor Media TV /Radio Journalists/ Presenters/ Documentary Makers, Human Aspects Trainer, Professionals
4 å¹´Yes!!!