People ask me, “Why do you want to work with new healthcare professionals?”
The answer is simple. I care about the quality of care in our healthcare system, and that is dependent on your success. But I’d like to be clear about how I define “success.”
I don’t mean just passing, and I also don’t mean getting the highest possible grades. I’ve known many overachieving healthcare professionals who “succeed” on an external level, but who live in an almost constant state of stress.
Is that success? In my experience, it is not. Even worse, it can become like a drug. The classic overachiever syndrome where no amount of “success” is ever satisfying.
I love asking students this question, “How many of your classmates are emotionally balanced?” They typically laugh as they say, “not many!”
It is amusing in a way, but it’s also downright scary. It’s the elephant in the room of healthcare that hardly anyone wants to talk about.
We are supposed to be “the experts,” right?
How can we, as healthcare professionals, inspire wellness in others from a place of imbalance?
How can we expect the people we serve to make healthy lifestyle changes when we are not equally committed?
After working in healthcare for nearly 20 years, I can say that lack of role modeling is a significant issue. I’ve experienced (in myself and others) the detrimental impact that stress and lack of self-care has on the quality of care in our healthcare system.
I’ll be honest. I used to be a huge part of the problem. I was almost always stressed. Even though I generally provided a decent quality of care, I was never happy. And I didn’t realize how much more of an impact I could have (and how much better I’d feel) by learning how to take better care of myself.
I’ve since learned that self-care is foundation for quality healthcare and Clinical Success which I define as…
Clinical success means completing the requirements in an emotionally balanced state, while feeling great about yourself and about the difference you are making in the lives of the people you serve.
Success without a sense of inner peace and balance is NOT SUCCESS.
It is my sincere intention to support you in recognizing this truth within yourself, and for you to experience Clinical Success at a level you didn’t even know existed.
Please leave a comment and get involved in this ongoing conversation about how we can all support one another in improving the quality of our healthcare system.
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