You’ve probably been told that in order to be healthy physically and mentally you need to find a balance in your daily routine. A balanced diet, exercise, sleep are all necessary to be the best version of yourself that you can be. So why are we treating doctors and physicians any different? Just because their job is to take care of us, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get time to take care of themselves. In order for patients to receive the highest level of care possible, they deserve to have doctors who are at the top of their game physically and mentally.
This all requires a balance. More often than not are doctors overworked and burnout. According to a 2023 report, only 43% of physicians said they actually prioritized their own health. 17% said they never take care of themselves. These statistics show that clinicians are too busy on other things to be the healthcare advocates and providers that they were trained to be. In order to increase employee health and wellness, the industry as a whole needs to make it easier for frontline workers to prioritize their health. Providing more sustainable workloads and schedules can help them create a balance in their lives.
“Just because doctors and nurses are taking care of people for a living does not mean they have to put their own health on the backburner. Their health is just as important, and could be a deciding factor in the type of care they provide to their patients. If a doctor is not feeling well, how can they possibly take care of anyone else? Having a balance between their physical and mental health, and the health of their patients is necessary for healing on both sides,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
Just because a doctor is clocked in at work does not mean they have to do tasks outside of their job description. One of the reasons clinicians cannot prioritize their health is because their shifts are dedicated to more than just taking care of patients. They are often spending countless hours a day doing paperwork and other record keeping, when technology has advanced to be able to do it for them. Instead of requiring doctors to keep up with those administrative tasks, they could focus on what really matters, which are their patients. Having more sustainable workloads can stimulate productivity and make their days easier.
Doctors deserve to have a life outside of their job as well. A lot of times clinicians and nurses are working 12-hour days and perhaps longer if there are staffing issues. Healthcare organizations can invest in hiring more employees and creating a safe work environment, so that staffing shortages are not an issue. If doctors are always at work, they cannot spend time with family and friends, exercise or do the things they love to do. Those are all important things in keeping up with their physical and mental health. Having an unsustainable work schedule prevents them from actually taking care of themselves.
“This means that healthcare organizations need to support employee health at every level. Providing sustainable workloads, schedules and benefits is the key to creating that balance. Doctors and nurses might feel like they can’t prioritize their health so it’s up to leaders to do that for them,” says Worthy.
Balance is key on the frontlines. If doctors and nurses are not feeling up to par, there is a chance the level of care they provide is lacking. Healthcare employees need a balanced schedule to be the professionals they can be, and take care of themselves at the same time. Having well-balanced physical and mental health is important for everyone, and doctors need extra time in their days to practice healthy habits.
If healthcare workers are bound to unsustainable workloads and schedules, how can they even begin to think about themselves? The overall sentiment of the healthcare industry needs to change, so that employees’ health is prioritized just as much as their patients’. How can you create a positive change so that everyone on every level is taken care of?
