4 Ways to Renew Passion for Your Healthcare Job
It’s common to lose interest in your job over time. But healthcare these days has been under siege. COVID in 2020 led many workers into burnout and, with more cases on the horizon, many are considering finding new employment—perhaps in a less stressful field. How can we reignite the passion that led us into the healthcare field? We have four tips for your consideration.
The State of Healthcare Burnout
Burnout was a factor in healthcare long before COVID hit. Now, in the summer of 2021, healthcare workers are bracing for an upsurge of new Delta variant COVID cases. This new round of cases is coming; the Delta variant is about 60% more transmissible than the original Alpha COVID strain. The New York Times says, “None of the variants is known to be more deadly or to cause more severe disease, but increased transmissibility adds to caseloads that further strain hospitals and result, inevitably, in more deaths.”
All of this has led many healthcare workers to consider leaving the field entirely or to take early retirement at a time when we need all hands on deck to handle this next round of cases. How can healthcare workers recover from their burnout and reignite their passion for the field?
4 Ways to Reignite Your Healthcare Job
- Learn a new skill. Don’t roll your eyes or sigh at this suggestion. Knowledge workers, especially those who are highly trained, can fall victim to simple boredom. Reengaging your brain with some continuing education credits or even a job transfer could help you get your mojo back.
- Find meaning in your work. Start by taking some time to reassess why you started in this field to begin with. Most healthcare workers have a passion for helping people. How does what you do every day help the patients you serve? The most engaged healthcare workers would likely say that they have some connection to an overarching sense of purpose surrounding the job they do.
- Mentor someone. Helping others advance in their careers could help you get back in touch with why you entered the field. Seeing others grow and having them appreciate you and what you’re trying to do to help them is a gratifying and necessary way to get back in touch with why you entered this field.
- Declutter and refresh your life. Sometimes burnout stems from the overwhelming feeling of being out of control. When was the last time you got rid of useless items in your home? Does your desk at work feel unnecessarily cluttered? Take the time to understand what you value and what you don’t as an exercise toward understanding more about the relationship you have with your job and your healthcare career.
Searching for a new job?
If you do all of these things and still feel that you’re not in the right place, we’d like to speak with you. The Custom Group of Companies represents healthcare workers to some of the top employers in the region. Let’s talk about your career goals. Call on us.