Your life revolves around your practice. You come into the office and spend the majority of your day reviewing charts and seeing patients. To you, everything seems perfect, but your Yelp reviews may not be reflecting as positively as you had hoped. You think back on your patient conversations and realize patients may not be disgruntled because of your attitude; instead, they may have been treated unfavorably by your staff. ReactDx understands the importance of office morale and how it can positively — or negatively — affect patients.
Treat With Respect
Your patients interact with staff members for the majority of their visit, making them one of the best assets of your practice. If the phone representative, receptionist, office manager, nurse, or PA has an off day or gives the impression that the patient is not the first priority, the entire visit may be negative for that patient. That patient’s behavior toward another staff member can upset that person who, in turn, can be rude to another patient. Encourage your staff to treat each patient with respect, no matter what the attitude of a co-worker or a patient, to encourage a positive experience for every patient.
Optimize Workflow
The expenses of running a business are often overwhelming. Add to that the current nursing shortage and it’s no wonder morale is low; excess patients and too few employees lead to harried staff and the likelihood that nerves will be frayed. Optimize workflow by computerizing patient records or changing the physical flow of staff and patients throughout the office to save a few precious minutes per patient.
Tailor Your Office to Your Needs
Take advantage of predictive analytics to determine your high-demand times and staff accordingly. If Monday mornings are significantly busier due to last minute emergency visits, hire a part-time worker to relieve the patient load. On the same note, if reports are due at the end of the month, ensure enough staff has time to complete the reports instead of expecting them to complete the reports during normal work hours. Predictive analytics can easily shine light on scheduling three to four months into the future. Anticipating and planning to eliminate short staffing situations greatly improves morale since it is the ultimate concern among nurses according to an AMN Healthcare and Avantas survey. Predictive analytics improves staff satisfaction, reduces the necessity of hiring short-term nurses, improves employee retention, and positively impacts labor costs.
Be the change in your office by treating your employees with respect. Reward them with kindness and open communication, and you may just notice a happier staff — and happier patients. Learn more about ReactDx’s event monitors by calling 800-23-HEART or contacting us online.
