Mastering energy to avoid drama in your healthcare practice

Energy takes on many meanings depending on the context, but for the purposes of the workplace, I refer to energy as the force that serves to either propel us to greater purposes or destroy us with our drama. As it relates to the healthcare setting, our energy can help us serve our patients well, manage our staff with utmost clarity and civility, and nurture an environment of impeccable customer service. Or if not mastered properly, it can trigger workplace bullying, disruptive behavior, physical burnout, or, in short-drama. With literally hundreds of scientific studies, white papers, and expert reports on how fatigue leads to serious accidents and death, it seems we are still in denial about the impact of fatigue on patient safety and employee safety and well-being. Before we can address drama issues, we must first make a commitment to support policies and a culture that preserves the physical energy of those we manage.