How can hospitals best care for our frontline heroes?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented stress on our hospitals and health systems. Many doctors, nurses and first-responders have been experiencing traumatic events and being exposed to distressing circumstances day-in and day-out for weeks on-end. They have lost numerous patients, and some may have even lost colleagues and possibly family members to COVID. They are working long hours with separation from family and riddled with the fear of spreading the virus to loved ones or evening getting sick themselves. Our frontline healthcare workers are experiencing extreme and prolonged stress that can lead to mental and physical exhaustion.  So, what can be done to help these brave caretakers overcome the risk of burnout in this pandemic?  Here are some suggestions:

  • Educate hospital leaders and staff on the signs of compassion fatigue and burnout, including:
    • Anxiety
    • Headaches
    • Insomnia
    • Fatigue
    • Difficulty focusing or concentrating
    • Feeling ineffective and frustrated
    • An increasingly cynical outlook on life and work
    • Detachment and isolation
  • Establish a COVID response helpline for employees to call to share feelings or seek assistance.
  • Establish a “buddy-system” within work groups to provide support and to “check on one another” for early identification of individuals with signs of burnout.
  • Assure that there are resources readily available such as EAP, behavioral health professionals and Chaplains to intervene early to assist those in distress.
  • Assure that frontline staff and hospital leadership rotate days off from work to detach, rest and recover.
  • Provide areas for regular breaks and rest with-in the hospital
    • Healthy snacks, puzzles, paint by numbers and relaxing music in break rooms
    • Designated quiet areas to rest, stretch and/or meditate
  • Introduce Joy! Hospitals a need to transform the current state of gloom and fear by bringing “joy” to our frontline healthcare professionals – joy creates unity, joy restores energy, joy distracts, and joy promotes resilience! Here are a few suggestions for how to bring “joy” to your hospital:
    • Celebrate daily “wins” – visibly and with music
    • Keep a sense of humor – smile often and laugh freely
    • Flowers and bright colors at the nurse’s stations and in doctor’s lounges
    • Flash mop dances initiated by senior leaders
    • Singing together
    • Group exercise and playfulness
      • Stretching
      • Dancing
      • Hula hooping
      • Tossing a nerf ball around a room
      • Finger painting, sidewalk chalk murals
      • Giant bubble wands or bubble machines in the courtyard or at employee entrances
      • Group walks in a line with a rope (knots tied 6 feet apart) around the hospital at shift change

 Adopting well-rounded strategies that incorporates elements of good self-care, support systems, rest and rejuvenation and joyful activities will help to mitigate the stress-related impacts of COVID-19. Moreover, it can also help to develop greater caretaker resilience, stronger teamwork and trust, and ultimately transform the work culture to be stronger and more engaged as your organization rebounds in the aftermath.