How Healthcare Businesses Can Be There for Their Teams’ Mental Health

Working in healthcare isn’t just a job; it’s a calling that comes with its own set of intense pressures and challenges. That’s probably just putting it lightly!  While healthcare workers do a fantastic job looking after everyone else, it’s crucial that they also receive support. 

While yes, during COVID, some light was shed on this, even technically before the pandemic, in shows and movies, it was constantly portrayed how these workers have little to no time in their personal lives, constant demands in their jobs, and sometimes, not even a liveable wage either. 

There’s this lack of support; even now, after all the news and after all the attention, there are still so many healthcare businesses and organizations that are still overworking their team, watching mental health decline, and still not doing anything about it at all.  Now, needless to say, you have to create the best employee experience that you can. Bad mental health has so many risks for organizations, way too many. But how can your business support your team’s mental health in healthcare? Well, here’s exactly what you need to know. 

Start Talking About It

Creating a culture that openly talks about mental health is step one; now, this is the healthcare industry, so it should already be a thing! It’s about getting rid of the stigma and making sure everyone—from surgeons to administrative staff—feels safe discussing how they’re feeling. 

Bullying and toxicity, even in healthcare, are so prevalent, and it’s something you have to avoid at all costs. So, having regular check-ins and openly addressing mental health in team meetings can set the tone, showing that it’s perfectly okay not to be okay.

Let Them Follow Their Passions

Now, support has to be easily accessible for your employees and all healthcare workers in general. While everyone’s job will always be one of their identities, have you ever considered that your employee’s current role could be holding them back? 

For example, they’re so overworked to the point that they’re unable to look into other healthcare professions or even other roles within their healthcare businesses. For example, you can learn more about Royal Ambulance, as its focus is to help healthcare workers and patients. They’re very growth-oriented, and that’s something you have to allow. 

Give Them Easy Resources

 When it comes to mental health support, sometimes, timing and schedule conflicts just take it away. So that’s why you need to offer them something that’s accessible. It’s vital to have support that is easily accessible. Whether it’s through providing subscriptions to mindfulness apps, setting up a mental health hotline, or offering sessions with counselors, having resources readily available can make all the difference. It’s like having the right tools in a medical kit—only this one’s for mental health.

There Needs to be Flexibility 

By all means, this has to be number one, probably the biggest priority, because this actually has the biggest impact of them all. Healthcare is 24/7, but that doesn’t mean healthcare workers’ schedules have to be rigid. In fact, they absolutely cannot be like that whatsoever! Flexible hours can help everyone manage the juggling act of life and work without dropping the ball on self-care. For example, it could be something like picking shifts that suit their needs or having the option to telecommute for admin roles; a little flexibility can lead to a lot of stress relief.