Stress is drowning your hospital personnel! here's how to get air!

Stress is drowning your hospital personnel! Here's how to get air!
We know from speaking to our members who work at our hospital
that morale is suffering and stress levels are on the rise.

We are fearful for what the future holds for patients, for our nurses
and health care workers.

We know our members want to be able to provide patients with the
compassionate care they deserve." says Glen Turp Director Royal
College of Nursing Yorkshire. According to the US Dept of Labor,
stress levels among hospital workers are indeed on the rise. Big
time. The destructive effects of stressed out, burnt out hospital
employees can hurt everybody.

Maybe you're one of its victims. However, if you have been living life on this planet, the idea of experiencing a
completely stress free lifestyle is ridiculous, impossible and even unhealthy. Knowing when healthy stress levels
move to unhealthy ones is key. Building a workplace culture that engages, motivates and recognizes your nurses,
facilitators, staff physicians and other personnel for their contribution brings happier employees. Its no secret that
creating a happier staff creates happier patients.

Adding recognition impacts the individual to contribute to morale, quality of care, industry reputation and your
bottom line. Here are some ideas that will help you and your organization breath easier again.

I remember jogging along a beautiful wooded area in upstate New York last summer.

Then some days later I began to experience chills, shakes and headaches. During one highway drive down a
crowded, busy lane, I found out I couldn't steer my car. I had lost muscle control of my arms and legs. My close
friends, John and Ellen came and rushed me to the emergency room. My diagnosis? Lyme disease. I am very grateful
to everyone who made themselves available to me throughout my recovery. That's the power of recognition. The
doctor said I would be out of commission for a while. His orders included no appointments or plans for two weeks,
minimum. No business, no clients. I was naturally anxious.

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The hospital personnel at Henry Hudson Hospital were upbeat, attentive and supportive. They made me feel I was in
goods hands. I followed their protocol. I exercised, changed my diet, got quiet and got well. I deeply thanked them
all and told them I hope they're getting bunches of recognition and rewards. Maybe. That's the power of recognition
and my practicing healthy stress. The stress of making healthy changes actually boosted my immune system.

Indentifying when healthy stress becomes unhealthy is your gague showing you where you should make
improvements in yourself and workplace environment. The use of sincere and regular recognition is a
proven alchemist.

Hospital personnel are famous for pulling patients through super stressful situations but often neglect their
own. Unhealthy and destructive stress levels undermine an employee's ability to perform at their best.
Overwork, understaffing, tight schedules, paperwork, intricate or malfunctioning equipment can be a
trigger to undermine safety and promote illness and injuries. Your nurses and staff physicians regularly
have to work within a complex hierarchy of authority. Then there are the dependent, demanding patients
and their families. Themselves under stress. Patient death can many times bring to all an overwhelming
sense of failure and guilt. All contributing to high levels of destructive stress.

According to Dr. Juliet Bruce, "the incredible pressure and stress to provide patient care also falls on those
"people who operate the technology and shepherd patients through the acute care journey, from the first
terrifying admissions interview, through pre-surgical tests and prep, to and from the OR to recovery -- and
ultimately to discharge. Their impact on a patient's experience is huge. They bear the brunt of the stress in
our dysfunctional care system, are on the receiving end of most complaints, and yet they are the forgotten
employees." Dr Juliet Bruce PH D is a journalist and counselor to hospitals and government personnel.

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Signs of Unhealthy Stress.
Unhealthy stress levels have been associated with loss of appetite, ulcers, mental disorder, migraines,
difficulty in sleeping, emotional instability, disruption of social and family life, and the increased use of
cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Stress can also affect worker attitudes and behavior. Some frequently
reported consequences of stress among hospital workers are difficulties in communicating with very ill
patients, maintaining pleasant relations with coworkers, and judging the seriousness of a potential
emergency.

Remedies
In addition to taking personal responsibly for reducing your unhealthy stress levels it is valuable that your
organization has a recognition program in place that recognizes and rewards performance.

There are things you can do for yourself personally to transition unhealthy stress to healthy stress. If you
are of a spiritual temperment, silent time, prayer and meditation will work its metaphysical magic. Exercise
and diet can not be overemphasied. “The stress that moderate exercise provides is quite healthy and
provides many positive effects,”says Jessica Matthews MS, continuing education coordinator for the
American Council on Exercise (ACE) and ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor

“From a physiological perspective, the demands being placed on the body during exercise help it to become
more efficient in completing everyday activities. Regular exercise has also been shown to reduce the level of
stress hormones in the body, such as cortisol, while simultaneously increasing the level of endorphins in the
body, resulting in that ‘feel good’ sensation. In fact, research has even shown that exercise itself may make
us more resilient to stress overall.”

Mark Goulston, MD, a clinical psychiatrist and author of Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-
Defeating Behavior, brings up Cortisol. This stress hormone is released. Healthy stress also triggers
adrenaline release and can help you focus and think more clearly.

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Larina Kase, PhD, a Pennsylvania-based psychologist and the author of The Confident Leader: How the
Most Successful People Go from Effective to Exceptional. “Stress often precedes or accompanies creative
breakthroughs,”

According to The Society for Human Resource Management. Using the right approach to "recognition and
reward empowers employee performance while effectively reducing their stress." Their study goes on to say
organizations with "strategic plans in place where the awards connect to corporate values, found 28.6
percent lower frustration levels than companies without these programs. Additionally, those with
recognition programs were 25.4 percent more likely to have a clear understanding of their organizational
objectives. Employees reported feeling 21.5 percent more enabled, and the organizations enjoyed a
turnover rate 23.4 percent lower than those without recognition programs."

Communication tools can help to get the word out to your personnel about your mission and goals. You
can promote wellness throughout your organization and retain your valuable personnel via peer to peer
recognition or top down incenti-vizing.

Here is one example of a recognition and rewards strategy we put together for a regional hospital client in
New York.

They were looking to setup an environment that reduced workforce stress, supported better service,
loyality and retention, pride in one's tasks, respect for patients and co-workers, innovation, perfect
attendance, teamwork and years of dedicated service. We were able to convey to the CFO the value of a
rewards initiative to turn things around. You can learn more about our SPIRIT program by downloading our
free ebook for senior hospital management. In addition, we brought IncentiWeb® technology into the mix.

This enabled us to provide virtually unlimited award choices, communication tools and complete tracking
and reporting of every aspect of their program in real time. ROI.

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The program was called:
Set Your Core Values S.P.I.R.I.T.©
S Service
P Pride
I Improvement R Respect
I Innovation
T Teamwork

INTRODUCTIONS AND GREETINGS. Because it is important to make customers feel welcomed, comfortable
and secure, I introduce myself to them. (Behaviors demonstrated and rewarded.)
1. I greet customers with a smile, establish eye contact and deliver an appropriate greeting. (e.g. hello,
good morning, good afternoon etc)

2. When meeting patients for the first time, I introduce myself and explain what I will be doing.

3. During my first contact with patients, I address them formally, (Mr. Mrs. Ms.) I ask them how they would
like to be addressed and make a note for future contacts. Patients should NEVER be addressed as sweetie,
honey or dear.

4. I greet customers as I approach them-with eye contact if passing in the hall and with their name.

5. I wear my name badge above my waist with my name, picture and title/department in an upright,
readable position.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit” – Aristotle

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WAYFINDING AND DIRECTIONS
Because it is often confusing, I assist customers in finding their way around the hospital/outpatient
areas.(Behaviors demonstrated and rewarded):
1. I look out for customers who appear lost and offer them my assistance. If at all possible.
2. I escort customers to their destination. If it is not possible to escort them, or I do not know how to find
their destination, I find someone who can help them.

CUSTOMER WAITING
I respect customers' time, since I understand how stressful it can be to wait.
(Behaviors demonstrated and rewarded):

1. I educate patients and their families about testing/ treatment process or services that provide the
information they need.

2. If there is a delay, I will keep the customer informed about the delay..

3. I always thank customer for waiting and apologize for delays.

4. I remain aware of waiting times and remind appropriate co-workers and physicians concerning excessive
waits.

5. I offer alternatives and options if wait times are unacceptable to the patient.

6. I help maintain patient comfort while waiting (blankets, magazines, etc.) If I am unable to address an
issue immediately I provide the customer with a time frame in which I can respond.

7. I am careful to manage customer expectations be providing an accurate time frame during which the
customer can expect a response.

You can view the whole SPIRIT program in its entirety by downloading our free ebook for senior
management

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Indentifying where your unhealthy stress levels exist, making positive changes and implementing a
recognition and rewards program will go a long way toward reducing unhealthy stress levels and creation
of a happier environment for all.

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Stress is drowning your hospital personnel! here's how to get air!

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Stress is drowning your hospital personnel! here's how to get air!