I teach a class for people who will be precepting new staff and students at a small healthcare organization. One day about a year and a half into the pandemic, one of the nurses in my class just started crying. She had become an ICU nurse and started her career near the beginning of the COVID pandemic – so prolonged, hopeless situations made up the majority of her experience. Then, a year or later, she was being asked to train others though she herself still felt unprepared to be a non-COVID ICU nurse.
One after another, the ICU nurses in the class began to express similar feelings of distress, then nurses, CNAs and MAs from other parts of the organization also shared how difficult healthcare during the pandemic has been.
The fact is, we are not okay. I’m not okay – you’re not okay – your staff are not okay.
Whew! The first step is out of the way. Now that we’ve acknowledged that fact, we can make a plan to reach up, grasp the ledge of the pit we have fallen into, then turn and lift our staff up with us.
We will reach okay again. By showing support and concern – even if it’s just by listening, we can reach that goal sooner rather than later.
What? Did I hear you say “Easier said than done.”???
That is certainly true, but the good news is you don’t have to do it on your own.
That’s where Engaged Healthcare comes in. Though there is no easy fix for this problem, we help you learn to identify the most critical issues, create a strategy, and address the issues one step at a time.
Reach out today. Let’s get your team onto the road to recovery.