The pandemic has dramatically changed the day-to-day running of healthcare settings. Patient volumes, treatment settings, safety guidelines, and even billing standards have all changed due to COVID-19. Not only are healthcare teams dealing with increased workloads and changing responsibilities, but they’re dealing with the emotional impact of the virus as well. However, a well-supported team translates into better outcomes for your clinic – both for staff and patients. Here’s how to manage your team during the pandemic.
Understand the Challenges Your Team is Facing
Healthcare teams face a variety of challenges during COVID-19. These can be at the personal, team, or organizational level. At the personal level, they might be sick, tired, or burned out. At the team level, they might be dealing with the demands of new job responsibilities or personnel changes. At the organizational level, they might be concerned about PPE, resources, or even the clinic’s financial health.
Take the time to talk with staff, gather feedback and assess fears and concerns so that you can address them. Also, keep an eye out for staff who seem less motivated, attentive, or happy to be at work – these can all be signs of stress. Opening the lines of communication and offering multiple opportunities for input and feedback can be invaluable.
Take a People-First Approach to Management
When you understand what your team is dealing with, you can take steps to reduce stressors and improve outcomes. While some of the approaches required may depend on the individual in question, there are steps you can take to foster your team’s wellbeing. These include:
- Celebrate milestones and achievements. Focusing on the positives can help staff feel valued. Celebrating even small wins can put a positive spin on an environment made difficult by the demands of COVID-19.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities. Clearly communicate who’s responsible for what and who reports to whom. This helps people better understand the scope of their job, prevents your team from feeling overwhelmed, and improves overall work quality.
- Show all team members that they’re valued. Make a point to visibly show your appreciation for all team members, including those who work behind the scenes. It takes each and every individual working together to make the team great.
- Encourage team members to look out for each other. Staff who work together on a daily basis are best placed to see if a colleague is stressed, overwhelmed, or struggling with a personal situation. Encourage your staff to look out for each other and guide colleagues towards helpful resources or services.
- Be receptive to feedback or change. Creating a situation where staff feel comfortable speaking out or changing things up cements their role as professionals and helps them perform at their best in the workplace.
- Provide training and access to resources. COVID-19 has changed all of our lives. Provide access to resources such as counseling, literature, or even extras such as home or family support. Also, consider training staff to seamlessly handle major work or process changes.
Make Sure Your Medical Space Works for Your Team
In addition to focusing your attention on management and personnel, consider the environment in which your team is working. COVID-19 has necessitated numerous changes to how healthcare providers use and share space, and a working environment that worked pre-pandemic may not be optimal now. Spend some time shadowing your team to see where improvements to layout and processes can be made and consider whether moving to a larger or differently organized space may be the solution. In the current context, both staff and patients will appreciate the extra room – and the ability to remain socially distanced while in the building.
If you need some assistance assessing your space or want some advice on choosing a new one, get in touch. The experts at Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty are here to help you find a medical space that helps your team to work at its best during COVID-19 and beyond.