patient safety & quality
By J . Hudson Garrett Jr ., PhD , MSN , MPH , MBA , FNP-BC , IP-BC , PLNC , CFER , AS-BC , VA-BC , MSL-BC , CPPS , CPHQ , NREMT , CADS , FACDONA , FAAPM , FNAP
A Needed Time for Recharging : Resetting Resilience During and After a Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has created some of the most significant and far-reaching consequences on modern healthcare in history . As such , healthcare worker resiliency is extremely low due to the ongoing demands of the pandemic . Most healthcare professionals have never experienced a pandemic , much less a national outbreak in their careers . This novel pathogen has exploited the many vulnerabilities within the global healthcare system . Luckily , pandemics are not normally long-range events and therefore our heightened state of response is hopefully coming to an end very soon . The level of stress created during a pandemic is not normal and likely can cause anxiety in even the most resilient healthcare providers . A key to maintaining one ’ s resilience is proper recognition of both acute and chronic stress , despite the specific cause .
The stresses resulting from the pandemic can include subtle changes in healthcare provider ’ s including :
● Difficulty sleeping
● Changes in appetite , energy , desires and interests
● Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
● Irrational feelings of anger , fear , worry , numbness or frustration
● Worsening of chronic health conditions
● Increased use of alcohol , drugs , and / or tobacco Items
● Physical pain such as back pain or nausea
There are several recommended stress-management techniques that can be used to help healthcare workers maintain some semblance of “ normalcy .” These techniques assist healthcare personnel with balancing personal physical , mental , and emotional needs during the ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic .
● Maintain a normal schedule as much as possible .
● Eat a healthy and balanced diet .
● Build a solid support structure of colleagues , friends , and family to help protect your mental health .
● Engage in outdoor activities when permissible with local weather conditions .
● Exercise at least 30 minutes a day .
● Ensure adequate sleep .
● Schedule time to unwind .
● Take frequent breaks as possible .
● Engage in alternative medicine stress reduction techniques such as meditation or acupuncture .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has created unique capacity categories related to the use of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) during a pandemic . There are three basic classifications : Conventional , Contingency , and Crisis . These levels of PPE availability and need can be extrapolated to the management of healthcare worker resilience :
●Conventional : “ All systems are operating as normal ” as they say with no significant changes in patient acuity , volume , or infection transmission risk to healthcare personnel . In this capacity setting , healthcare workers are not experiencing abnormal levels of stress , and therefore no specific risk mitigation is necessary to decrease the impacts of stress .
●Contingency : In this response mode , healthcare systems and personnel are being subjected to increased patient censuses and resilience begins to decrease acutely .
●Crisis : In crisis mode , all normality is absent of the situation and healthcare professionals are forced to operate in a climate of “ uncharted territory .” Healthcare
•
There are several recommended stressmanagement techniques that can be used to help healthcare workers maintain some semblance of “ normalcy .”
personnel may be operating without proper PPE and experience concern of potential transmission from themselves to family and friends . The human body is not designed to endure a sustained and constant stress response , therefore preventative measures are helpful in reducing the risk for negative impacts
Healthcare facilities , specifically healthcare executives must support frontline healthcare workers in making mental and physical health resources readily available . Healthcare personnel can serve as collaborative support systems for one another and help to reduce any cumulative impacts of pandemic stress . While the full impacts of this pandemic have not been fully appreciated , they will likely be far-reaching and have a significant impact on healthcare for many years to come . Mitigation techniques to reduce stress can substantially improve healthcare personnel resiliency , decrease the impacts of stress on the human body , and ensure continued clinical continuity of healthcare delivery .
J . Hudson Garrett Jr ., PhD , MSN , MPH , MBA , FNP-BC , IP-BC , PLNC , CFER , AS-BC , VA-BC , MSL-BC , CPPS , CPHQ , NREMT , CADS , FACDONA , FAAPM , FNAP , is president and CEO of Community Health Associates , LLC , and also serves as an adjunct assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine . Garrett is a frequent lecturer globally on patient safety , infectious diseases , and medical device reprocessing and safety . He may be reached at :
Hudson . garrett @ chaassociates . com