4 Ways to Improve Employee Well-being in Health Care Organizations

December 1, 2021 |read icon 5 min read

Health care workers are exhausted. They’ve invested hours and hours taking care of patients and helping family members cope with medical diagnoses. Health care employees often spend more time at work than on any other activity. Prevent health care employees from burnout and stress by improving their work environment and helping them stay healthy. Consider four ways to improve employee well-being and the work culture in health care organizations.

1. Enhance employee experiences

Gallup says well-being is composed of all the things people value and how they experience their lives. So as health care employers, it’s important to provide job experiences that support employee satisfaction and well-being.

In addition to having a job with meaningful work and competitive pay, employees want benefits and perks that meet their needs. And, they want experiences that will enhance their personal and professional growth. The best way to find out what employees value is to ask them. Conduct a pulse survey, asking a few questions to determine what employees want to learn and their preferences for upskilling.

2. Strengthen relationships

Every health care organization’s culture is different. Often, it’s the little things that create a positive or negative work environment. Experts say a healthy, positive culture can lead to more motivated employees and better patient outcomes.
Health care workers who feel connected tend to exhibit a positive attitude. They’re more willing to believe the best in each other, creating a culture of people who care and trust each other. These positive attitudes can lead to supportive and productive work teams and work culture.

3. Build teams

Employees who enjoy working together tend to be happier, more satisfied and productive. They encourage each other to pursue excellence. In a supportive team environment, work has more meaning and employees are more invested in taking care of patients and families and supporting the organization.

Employees who feel connected with their coworkers are happier and healthier. They are less likely to feel lonely and stressed and they’re more energetic. Researchers explain that when people feel a sense of belonging, they experience higher levels of oxytocin, the feel-good hormone. This hormone helps health care workers get through busy days and complex patient care requirements with less stress and job burnout.

Team building requires intentional effort. Sometimes people naturally connect with others. But often, people are slow to accept each other. In this situation, organizing team-building activities can help nudge employees to develop positive work relationships. In time, you’ll create a supportive community that reflects a positive attitude that patients, family members and visitors will notice.

4. Improve job satisfaction

Health care employees expect benefit choices. So offering one option for each well-being benefit may not meet worker expectations. Instead, provide a range of plans and perks workers value with several coverage levels. These choices allow employees to personalize their benefits.

Benefits also should support employees’ physical, mental, financial, social and spiritual well-being. Educate health care workers about their benefits, explaining the differences in coverage, cost and design. Emphasize the importance of preventive care to help them improve and maintain their health. By providing benefits choices, employees will be healthier, happier, more satisfied and productive, and less likely to look for other jobs.

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