The First Step

There are frequent statements from hospital leaders that ‘people are our greatest asset’ or such-like. But these pronouncements can feel insincere, as the actions do not always match the words. However, with the crisis of mounting burnout and decreasing availability of staff, administrators are now starting to believe their own words. Therefore, this is an opportune time to examine and adjust our systems in ways that help people and enable them to be more productive, engaged, and happy.

All clinicians’ time needs to be valued, not wasted. Time that staff spend making bonds with each other must be treasured, rather than treated as frivolous time-wasting. Only now are we starting to realise the value of brief interpersonal interactions.

Of course, every hospital aims for excellence. Within this framework, a more balanced and wise approach is possible. Communication dictates the strength of relationships. Relationship quality influences the performance of teams. Team performance affects patient care, and indeed every other facet of the hospital. Therefore, communication and human interaction become the currency that dictates the quality and success of any organisation.

Traditional business management theory has come to dominate all organisations, including hospitals, and with this approach our systems have become mechanistic and ‘hard’. It’s time to change. Hospital systems should be dynamic, organic, adaptive, and emergent. We must embrace the notion of soft-system thinking to improve our failing health services. We need to care for ourselves before we can look after others.

Excerpt: From Hurting to Healing – Delivering Love to Medicine and Healthcare Hambone Publishing 2023