I’m on vacation with my family on Cape Cod, playing, eating, napping, and swimming. For best health we need rejuvenation. All components of individual health: spiritual, mental, and physical, depend on rest and relaxation. These days most healthcare organizations exist in a constant state of change. Change is seldom restful. I suspect organizations need rest and rejuvenation for their best health. The front line bears the brunt with interrupted work flow and changes in staffing and technology. Those touching our patients, clients, consumers feel less worn when they can depend on a steady routine of care and service. One of the hardest jobs of leadership is to care for the front line so they don’t burn out. We can set realistic timelines, support flexibility in hours to promote work/life balance, and make sure that changes at least make some of the work easier. We can promote positive storytelling that links staff back to the mission – why they do the work they do. What a dilemma: ever shifting environmental challenges necessitates the constant change that exhausts staff.
How does your organization rest and rejuvenate?
