A thriving healthcare workplace is vital to recruiting and retaining quality nurses and physicians, providing excellent patient care and meeting operational goals.

Creating a strong and healthy workplace begins with an honest evaluation of your organization. First, consider your facility’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Following this evaluation, utilize research-based strategies, like those outlined below, for an improved work environment.

These five strategies offer ways to improve the healthcare work environment through organizational culture, staffing, technology, employee well-being and continuing education. Your healthcare organization benefits by becoming more attractive to current and future employees, as well as patients.

Develop a good organizational culture

A positive work culture that focuses on quality, patient-centered care and supporting providers is a top reason healthcare personnel stay at that organization, a 2023 study found.

The study analyzed data from hundreds of thousands of physicians and nurses across the United States. Researchers discovered that clinicians are most likely to stay when they take pride in their work and are loyal to colleagues. Employees are likely to leave if they feel conversely.

Take steps to build a culture that acknowledges the importance of good medical care. Good care is not just for outcomes but for healthcare nurse and physician satisfaction and retention as well.

One step is to look for the good in your organization. Healthcare workplaces often analyze care delivery by focusing on what went wrong. A recent study found that collecting and sharing positive feedback builds appreciation, teamwork and respect among providers and leadership. This contributes significantly to improving organizational culture.

Another step is to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion practices (DEI). In healthcare, DEI recognizes differences and creates a culture that values everyone. DEI practices also encourage building up staff who represent the patients you serve.

Develop clear channels for feedback and take action on what you hear. Listening is only as powerful as the changes that happen as a result of listening. Show your team members that you value their feedback by implementing some of their suggestions.

Improve staffing levels to increase morale and decrease turnover

Staffing is a continual challenge in healthcare. Understaffing in medical organizations affects patient safety, stresses employees and undermines healthcare workers’ confidence in management.

In a recent JAMA study, thousands of physicians and nurses said that improving nurse staffing was key to improving their mental health. They also said that management’s work to improve care was more valuable to their mental health than interventions that focus on improving their mental health.

Reduce stress and prevent burnout by adequately staffing shifts to reduce long hours. If your healthcare organization is facing staffing challenges, contact a healthcare staffing organization like TinkBird.

TinkBird Healthcare Staffing has a nationwide network of healthcare professionals seeking permanent, locum tenens and travel nursing jobs. We help healthcare systems find top talent by providing quality matches, superior customer service and a hassle-free medical staffing experience. 

Leverage technology to enhance and strengthen your healthcare workplace

Numerous technological advances have propelled the healthcare industry forward over the past three decades. Find ways to utilize these advancements to the benefit of your healthcare workplace. Consider new ways to use technology in healthcare like telemedicine, EHR, artificial intelligence (AI) and new software.

The reach of telemedicine extends countless benefits by removing geographical barriers and improving access to care. Telemedicine opens doors to quality healthcare providers for rural and underserved populations as well.

Improving the usability of electronic health records (EHR) also ranked highly on the list of ways to improve physicians’ and nurses’ mental health. An effective, user-friendly EHR system can streamline workflows, enhance care coordination and reduce errors.

Artificial intelligence presents powerful tools to improve healthcare. From accurately and quickly identifying abnormalities in medical imaging to analyzing patient data for patterns and predictions, AI applications offer many benefits to healthcare organizations.

New software programs within the last decade have created better options for scheduling, predicting demand and reducing administrative tasks. A report from the American Hospital Association addresses this subject. It encourages using software advances to decrease staffing challenges, streamline processes, improve patient care and make better use of resources.

Develop better employee well-being

With the growing rate of burnout, a healthy work-life balance matters to nurses and physicians.

The JAMA study showed that clinicians want increased control over their schedules and flexibility to support family life. Others noted that they would like all clinicians to have the opportunity to take breaks without interruption. Employees should not routinely have to work unscheduled hours, nurses and physicians said in the study.

When your physicians and nurses take a vacation, encourage them to unplug from work. Give them confidence about taking time off by utilizing locum tenens staffing. This will help to decrease burnout.

Invest in current and future leaders with training and education

Develop your current and future healthcare leaders through intentional training and education. Continued workforce shortages and retirements will drain the system if you do not intentionally develop future leaders.

Offer pathways for healthcare career development and advancement as well. Many healthcare providers desire to grow and step into leadership positions, so make those opportunities available and accessible. Continued education and training opportunities attract talent, especially the younger generation of healthcare providers.

Take steps today to improve your healthcare work culture

Change is never easy, but it is inevitable. Be intentional in your efforts to implement the five strategies above to improve your healthcare workplace.

TinkBird Healthcare Staffing can help you address healthcare workforce challenges. We provide high-quality locum tenens, travel nursing and permanent staffing solutions.

Our nationwide healthcare job placement services focus on quality matches and a hassle-free medical staffing experience for both providers and facilities. Contact us to learn how TinkBird can help you today.