PulseCheck December 2023
Dear Colleagues:
I am hoping that by now, all have at least heard of our Journey to High Reliability and the five Principles of HRO:
- Principle #1: Preoccupation with Failure – Process Failures are Addressed Immediately and Completely
- Principle #2: Reluctance to Simplify – Complex Problems Get Complex Solutions
- Principle #3: Sensitivity to Operations – Every Voice Matters
- Principle #4: Commitment to Resilience – Recovery is Swift
- Principle #5: Deference to Expertise – Experts are Trusted
I occasionally plagiarize/summarize information and ideas from the blog/newsletter monthly https://www.kevinmd.com/. The below is a bit modified from a recent post written by a patient advocate……
“… Stressors from emotions and situations that arise outside the practitioner–patient relationship are also prevalent. Governmental and corporate requirements imposed upon them are steadily increasing and constantly changing in nature, taking their emotional toll on the practitioner. In addition, practitioners have to find time in their day for clerical-type tasks like inputting data into unruly electronic medical records, contacting health insurance companies to secure proper care for their patients, and responding to patient emails and phone messages.
Total all factors together, and the pot on the stove has reached the boiling point and is ready to boil over! What may be of help, besides being told you have to become more resilient?
One possible source of help is found in the ‘great outdoors.’ Gregory Bratman, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, shared evidence that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress. The exact mechanism of how nature helps mood disorders is unclear, but researchers agree that time in nature tends to lift spirits. Ming Kuo, an environment and behavior scientist at the University of Illinois, says that even a short blast of nature exposure tends to raise a person’s mood. Research also shows that even if they are artificial, the images, sounds, and smells of nature can have positive health effects…”
Perhaps an experience such as this is in order….
In the meantime, thank you to each of you and your spouse/significant other/family/friends for all that you have done and will continue to do for our patients, your loved ones, each other and all of UM Shore Regional Health!
Best Wishes to you and yours have the Happiest of Holidays and a Healthy, Happy and Hopeful New 2024!
Sincerely,
