Three tips to ensure that exhaustion and fatigue don’t affect patient care.

Consider this scenario: Casey, an ophthalmic technician, has served patients for 13 years. She is skilled in her job, enjoys the complexity of her position, and loves taking care of patients. At the end of 2016, Casey noticed that the stress of work started to get to her. She struggled to provide exceptional customer service and periodically made uncharacteristic mistakes. Concerned that she was not providing patient care to her standards, Casey made an appointment to meet with her practice’s clinical director.

The clinical director listened as Casey shared some of her recent struggles, and she let Casey know that she was not alone in her feelings. In a recent poll completed by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 29% of U.S. workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work.¹ Casey’s clinical director affirmed that we often lose the ability to provide outstanding customer service when we feel overwhelmed, fatigued, or exhausted. Also, we have the propensity to adversely react to small issues, such as an unfavorable comment made by a patient or coworker.

According to her manager, Casey’s necessary next steps were to determine the root causes of her stress and develop a plan to reduce the strains. The following are some strategies for ophthalmic professionals to consider when trying to achieve a better work-life balance.

1. Take better care of yourself.

Most people make New Year’s resolutions to improve their physical health by losing weight or increasing exercise. We usually start out with the best of intentions but fall short of our goals by February or March. However, eating right and exercising are incredibly important for us to provide excellent customer service to our patients. According to the American Psychological Association, studies show exercise can relieve stress, reduce depression, and improve cognitive function.²

When Casey’s manager inquired whether she took care of herself with a proper diet and exercise, Casey admitted that she had been too busy. They discussed options for Casey to improve her physical health. With a consistent exercise regime, Casey can experience positive personal benefits and pass those same benefits on to her patients: a positive attitude, attention to detail, and fantastic customer service.

2. Strategically plan vacation time.

Some ophthalmic professionals take pride in the fact that they do not take vacation time. According to Forbes, 40% of American workers who received paid time off did not take all of their allotted time in the previous year, despite the personal benefits of taking time off.³ On the flip side, some ophthalmic professionals take too much vacation time by mismanaging their PTO. These staff members always seem to be ill or have family issues that cause them to miss out on beneficial time off for recreation and fun.

When speaking with her manager, Casey realized that she did not take time off during the holiday season. The stress of the holidays without any downtime prevented Casey from feeling refreshed in the new year.

To ensure that Casey received the full benefits of her PTO, she developed a plan to use it more efficiently. She scheduled a few three-day weekend “staycations” so that she could run errands, work on her home, and spend time with her family. Casey strategically set up these weekends throughout the year to have a small break every few months. She also planned a well-deserved vacation but left herself some PTO to use if she became sick.

Ophthalmic professionals like Casey can benefit by ensuring that they periodically take the time to rest and refuel, which will enable them to meet the challenges of the day and provide superb customer service.

3. Make time for self-reflection.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, many studies have investigated meditation for different conditions, and evidence shows that it may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and flare-ups in people who have had ulcerative colitis. Also, meditation may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression and may help people with insomnia.⁴

After talking with her clinical director, Casey decided to set aside a few minutes each day for meditation and self-reflection.

During this dedicated 10 minutes of her day, Casey took the opportunity to be thankful for all of her blessings and to remember why she loves working in eye care. In her journal, she wrote down her goals for 2017, which included her customer service commitment to take care of herself such that she could take better care of patients.

Conclusion

To provide exemplary customer service to patients, ophthalmic professionals must learn how to mitigate the stresses of the job.

By taking a step back and reviewing her situation, Casey realized that she could improve the way she felt and return to loving the hustle and bustle of her clinic life. OP

REFERENCES:

1. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/ . Accessed February 8, 2017.
2. The American Psychological Association. Stress and Exercise, 2013. http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/exercise.aspx . Accessed February 8, 2017.
3. Forbes. Take a Vacation: It’s Good for Productivity and the Economy, According to a New Study. February 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2014/02/28/take-a-vacation-its-good-for-productivity-and-the-economy-according-to-a-new-study/#425aae3a4919 . Accessed February 8, 2017.
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm . Accessed February 8, 2017.

Ms. Holloway is a senior consultant with BSM Consulting in Clearwater, FL. Her current certifications include Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Certified Patient Service Specialist (CPSS).