Healthcare Circus
Handoff, rounding, charting, click on sepsis alert.
Consecutive 12-hour shifts, have to “Rinse & Repeat.”
Luxury to pause, reflect, connect with patients & peers.
Has, unfortunately, taken a tremendous beat.
Pandemic, high volumes, short staffing & burnt-out team.
Clinicians walking around like zombies, with low self-esteem.
Dwindling workforce & morale is nothing new.
Now the “Pandemic health care heroes” need a miracle or two.
Our tank is empty
Our battery low
No one is coming to save us
That’s yet another blow
Can’t rely too much on powers that be
The ones who will “fix” this, are you and me
For it begins with self, healing our souls
Self-compassion isn’t selfish, it will make us whole.
To fill air in a balloon, we must first breathe in
To fill our cup so we can pour isn’t a sin
Replenishing ourselves & connecting to our purpose.
Will give us strength to get back in this circus.
Year 2023-
Patients don’t think that we truly care
As all they see is us stuck to a computer chair
Where technology is great
yet human connections not in sight.
Action Plans/Dashboards are in technicolor
yet Culture is just black & white.
Let’s add “Compassion” as another metric to gauge our care—it’s a must.
Our patients, teams & community are watching…so, let’s start mending that trust.
Who else can fix this but you and me?
TID dose of gratitude & compassion—I promise we will thrive!
Dr. Mehta
Dr. Mehta is a board-certified internal medicine physician working as an adult hospitalist at Common Spirit Health System in Redwood City, Calif. She is chair of the SHM Patient Experience Executive Council, a faculty member of the SHM Wellness Task Force, and an executive board member of the SHM Bay Area Chapter. As the national director of quality and experience for Vituity, Dr. Mehta leads programs designed to help health systems deliver world-class care to more than seven million patients across the U.S.