In the high-pressure healthcare environment, resilience is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Burnout in medicine is an ongoing challenge healthcare professionals face globally, and there is no easy or quick fix.
For practice managers, fostering team resilience is crucial to maintaining a healthy, productive work environment. The daily stresses of healthcare can easily lead to burnout, compromising patient care and staff well-being. However, as Dr. Sharief, a seasoned GP and mental health advocate, demonstrates, there are practical strategies that can mitigate stress and enhance team cohesion.
Dr. Sharief’s journey into resilience training is rooted in her personal experiences. Having worked as a GP for over 20 years and served as the medical director of the Medway and Swale health and care partnership, she knows firsthand the toll the healthcare profession can take. Her experiences, including a near-burnout episode as a junior doctor in Zimbabwe, inspired her to develop simple yet effective techniques to manage stress.
Dr. Sharief’s approach to resilience is grounded in practicality. She advocates for techniques anyone can implement, such as adjusting breathing and posture. These methods are designed to be easily incorporated into a healthcare professional’s daily routine, offering immediate benefits without requiring significant time or effort. Her training sessions, refined through work in challenging environments like prisons and the Palestinian territories, emphasise the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, even when facing adversity.
However, the emphasis on personal resilience is not without its critics. Consultant psychiatrist Andrew Molodynski argues that focusing solely on personal resilience places an undue burden on individuals, ignoring the systemic issues that contribute to stress in the first place. He believes that real improvements in workplace well-being come from organisational changes, such as increasing staffing levels to reduce workloads. “The focus should be on reducing the toxicity of the healthcare system,” Dr. Molodynski asserts. While personal resilience is important, he insists that systemic changes are what truly make a difference.
Similarly, emergency medicine consultant Chris Turner is skeptical about the over-reliance on personal resilience practices like mindfulness and yoga. Citing research by US haematologist Tait Shanafelt, Dr. Turner points out that personal resilience only accounts for about 20% of workplace well-being, with the remaining 80% depending on organisational efficiency and collegial connections. He argues that a supportive work culture, where everyone’s strength comes from their connection to one another, is far more impactful than individual resilience practices.
Despite these differing perspectives, Dr. Sharief maintains that personal and collective resilience are essential. While systemic reforms are undoubtedly necessary, she believes personal resilience techniques can provide immediate tools for healthcare professionals to manage stress and improve their work lives. Her non-profit, Manage Your Mind, offers training sessions to foster positive habits and improve team culture from within.
Dr. Sharief’s practical advice for building resilience centers on what she calls the four ‘F’s:
1. Fuel: Eat healthily and stay hydrated.
2. Re-fuel: Prioritise good-quality sleep.
3. Form: Maintain good posture and practice breathing techniques like ‘box breathing.’
4. Focus: Write down worries and concentrate on what you can influence.
These simple strategies are designed to help healthcare professionals maintain their energy levels, reduce stress, and stay focused on what truly matters. By setting small, achievable goals and incorporating regular breaks and breathing exercises into the day, Dr. Sharief believes anyone can build resilience, regardless of their challenges.
The debate between systemic change and personal resilience is ongoing, but one thing is clear: both approaches are necessary to create a healthier, more supportive environment for healthcare professionals. By blending organisational reforms with personal resilience techniques, we can hope to foster a work culture that survives the pressures of healthcare and thrives in them.
Source: This article is based on information obtained from Practice Business
Image: Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash
