Everybody in healthcare knows the patient comes first, right? I often times take a lot of heat when I disagree and say, "Actually the patient comes second.
" Almost everyone in healthcare has been told (or brainwashed into believing) that the patient comes first.
I believe that the idea of the patient being first is almost as incorrect as the customer is always right or mother knows best.
Often times the customer doesn't know best and mom's decision was made before she had all of the details.
Patients don't come first, because the people (providers) that take care of them come first.
The provider came first and must be first.
Before there were providers, we just had sick people that needed help.
In order to use the word patient you have to assume that someone wants (and is willing) to take care of them.
A patient without a provider is not a patient, but a person.
Okay, I am done speaking in riddles...
my point is simple...
providers come before patients.
Not because they are more important, but because they are as important.
Most facilities forget this simple fact.
As an administrator or part of the management team of a long term care facility, the best (and only) way to provide better care to your patients, is by taking better care of your people.
As impossible as staff can be, they must be your first priority.
They are your hands and feet, it is through your staff that you show how much you care for your patients.
Even though the unemployment numbers are high across the country, many LTC facilities face shortages of front line staff.
The LTC front line job is seen as undesirable to some and others simply can't handle the physical demands.
Therefore, the best way to stay fully staffed is to keep the people you have happy and let them tell others how great it is to work in Long Term Care.
When employees in almost any industry are interviewed about what it would take for them to be really happy at work, more money is usually third or fourth on the list.
The things that are listed above more money are cheap and easy to accomplish...
Respect, Recognition & Reward.
Appreciation follows closely and is often the same as recognition.
Can you show your people more respect? Can you implement a recognition and appreciation system? Can you create a high-value, low price reward program? I believe you can.
I believe you should.
Your people come first.
Regardless of how great your system is...
if your system is operated by an angry mob, your patients will suffer.