We see so many stories in the news about this and compassion fatigue settles in. But you only have to look left and right to understand how many people struggle with working in the health care system today. And it’s not just junior doctors. It’s seniors, nurses, paramedics, and all the other hard workers in this amazing service that saves lives and keeps all of us healthy.
But the sad reality is that it takes time to fix underfunded systems, to change cultures and to maintain humanity in large organisations. The truth is that it’s up to all of us. And it starts with kindness.
Be kind to yourself. You are doing an amazing job. Don’t lose perspective of that. The stress and expectations are as much or more than they ever were. Don’t underestimate how well you are doing. Raising a family while doing all this? You’re fucking awesome!
Be kind to others. It’s easy to be drawn into the negativity that can pervade our work places. Bringing others down by gossiping and criticising those we work with harms ourselves as much as it does them. There are a million reasons to praise each other every single day and we don’t do it enough.
Be realistic. In expectations of yourself and those around you. Change in healthcare shifts at a glacial pace, so consider your career decisions carefully. There’s unlikely to be a substantial increase in healthcare funding anytime soon, the population is becoming more unhealthy and patient expectations are at an all time high. Choose your path wisely.
If we work together and start with kindness, we can make a difference to the system that we work in. Feed the fire in yourself and those you work with.