In the world of professional service, especially that which is as emotionally and spiritually demanding as PHC work, the core of that service is the people. From client advocates to nurses, sonographers to receptionists, each of the personnel in your PHC plays a vital role in its success. To maintain an environment that is not only inviting and full of care for the women walking through the doors but also for the staff clocking in for the day, proper care for one’s spiritual and emotional health is crucial.
Compassion Fatigue & Burn Out
As PHC staff, it is not uncommon to deal with emotionally-heavy and spiritually-draining situations on a frequent basis. The regular intake of hardship, pain, difficult circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, and the choice made by the client can take a toll on the well-being of your PHC staff. This toll is a very real phenomenon experienced by those in helping professions of all varieties: compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue is a culmination of secondary trauma, stress, and burnout. It is a well-recognized condition among healthcare professionals and others in caregiving roles, characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others. Oftentimes, in the name of service, many staff work themselves down to exhaustion, physically and emotionally.
Since many patients and clients detail the worst parts of their life stories, the second-hand trauma that results ought to be handled with as much care as the staff gave the client who shared their story. Over time, staff can begin to compartmentalize the weight of all these hardships and woes, and it can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, numb, or even agitated. While the efforts of staff to push through each day are admirable, it is actually better for the center overall to encourage staff to prioritize their spiritual and emotional health intermittently throughout the weeks instead of waiting for burnout.
Prioritizing Spiritual Health
In recent years, the topic of self-care has become increasingly popular. Though not all of the methods that are advertised may be something that your staff will want to entertain, it is still important for your PHC staff to maintain their spiritual and emotional health. This, of course, is an intentional act – it requires discipline to set aside appropriate time and energy for this.
To avoid compassion fatigue and burnout, there are a number of practices that centers can implement. The first component to note is an overall culture in the workplace that prioritizes the staff’s relationship with God. For example, if your center does not already, consider beginning each workday with prayer. Is there a room currently not being used at your center? Consider reworking that space as a designated prayer room, where advocates, nurses, and other staff can use it to pray for a client they just saw or to spend a few moments talking to God.
Caring for the client’s spiritual needs comes from the overflow of meeting our own spiritual needs. Cultivate a workplace culture in which it is encouraged to bring one’s Bible to their desk to read in between charting. If you don’t already, consider creating a prayer calendar with the name of a staff member on each day so that the whole office can be praying for that person, and that staff member can work knowing that they are being prayed for.
As an additional consideration, it is key that each staff member understands that they can do their greatest work spiritually for clients when they have prioritized their own spiritual health. To discern the needs of a client, how the Holy Spirit is leading in a given moment, or to know what to say during conversation, it is necessary that staff be steeped in their own daily, intentional time with God. By showing that this is a high priority at the workplace, this will foster workplace habits and supplement personal ones.
Prioritizing Staff Emotional Health
Similar to spiritual health, the emotional health of the staff is also crucial to maintain. There are a number of means to create space for prioritizing staff emotional health. One consideration is to grant enough space between appointments to allow for walking, which benefits mental health and helps the mind process. If your center alternates between teams of client advocates and nurses, consider planning the schedule to identify opportunities for your staff to take much-needed outdoor breaks.
Another measure to promote staff emotional health is to allow the staff to “conference” after a particularly heavy or challenging client case. Allow each person to share how the experience was for them, including the staff member who checked in the client. This will allow your staff to process the second-hand trauma so that it is not “waiting” for them when they have time to slow down at home.
Look for opportunities for your staff to work outside of the office. This is especially helpful to those who require earning CEUs throughout the year. If there are nearby conferences, workshops, or CEU events, look for times in which your staff can participate in these. This will allow a break from the usual day-to-day, and also provide a learning opportunity.
Conclusion
In all of this, each step – whether big or small – communicates to your staff the importance of their spiritual and emotional health. Any practices that are implemented will show staff that their holistic self is seen as valued at the PHC. Staff who are valued and given priority at their workplace tend to deliver the best results and are able to keep going in their work at a high level.
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