Dear Doctor and Healthcare Professional,
This is your wake-up call! Where are you headed?
Where are you at this point in your career and in your life? Whether you are just getting started, or well into the depths of your journey, it is likely you have encountered the deeply disturbing dilemma that the business of healthcare is not aligned with your expectations. This career path intended to restore health, hope, and well-being of others may prove to be detrimental to your own health, and result in personal suffering, loss of identity, and sadly, loss of self.
You once had a desire and made a commitment. Now, consider where you are and how you feel. Who are you today as compared to when you first started your medical career? Are you satisfied and fulfilled? Are you aligned with your values? If not, how is this affecting you?
You are not alone in your experiences. What is the true cost of remaining silent? You are a human being slowly eroding away inside as you push and pride yourself to see more patients in less time with fewer resources; attempt to meet the demands of an increasingly automated, yet disconnected system; and try to reconcile being a data-driven, budget-conscious practitioner, measured and judged by success metrics, while doing your best to promote positive outcomes for your patients. The cost is often your life and the integrity of your practice.
You have dreamed, planned, studied, and sacrificed only to become a dispensable cog in a machine – maneuvered and manipulated at will to meet business needs and goals, and replaced if not keeping up with production.
Conversing with physicians, nurses, therapists, and patients; witnessing the inner workings of various healthcare environments from both a personal and professional stand-point; and researching the subject matter of physician burnout and patient safety, led me to discover a term called ‘moral injury.’ Not only is this a moral injury, but a moral insult – a sense of personal violation and disregard for the very nature of human beings sacrificing their heart and soul in service, suffering in silence and becoming casualties of a fragmented healthcare culture. Our healthcare culture requires healthcare professionals to take a vow to do no harm yet creates an environment that inflicts life-altering risk to healthcare professionals, themselves. This, subsequently, threatens the sustainability and outcomes of our healthcare system at large. This is extremely problematic for all involved.
Healthcare professionals are on the front-lines, in the trenches, face-to-face, sacrificing day after day to do the best they can for their patients. Physicians and healthcare professionals (including the interdisciplinary care team), are involved in moral and ethical decision-making every day. They have to weigh and balance overall risks and benefits to all patient care plans and outcomes, and then deliver the most appropriate care possible. Inherently, there is a moral duty and expectation to provide a standard of care that avoids or minimizes risk and protects patients from harm, yet, during this normal course of care, these very skilled and dedicated professionals are at risk for experiencing moral dilemmas and moral distress that, over time, can lead to burnout and moral wounding.
You, dear doctor and healthcare professional have a heart and soul that support and guide you to make positive impact on your patients and the healthcare environment. YOU are the backbone, cornerstone, and bottom line to patient outcomes and ROI. Without YOU, the healthcare system could not deliver.
Where are you today? How do you show up? How do you value yourself as a doctor, as a healthcare professional? How does the healthcare system value you? Are you practicing out of integrity, out of alignment with your values, only to compromise your own heart and soul?
If your heart is not engaged and connected in meaningful service, how are you practicing? Would you agree that your emotional health affects your physical body and your ability to function? Your body and heart keep record of all experiences and serve as a great indicator of whether or not you’re living in your truth.
·Are you feeling a loss of enthusiasm or sense of cynicism regarding your work?
·Are you feeling low levels of accomplishment or personal dissatisfaction at work?
·Are you losing interest, becoming detached from your professional care-giving responsibilities?
Your feelings are real, and they matter. If you answered yes to any one of those questions above, no worries, it’s time for change.
I am your advocate and would love to support you before things get out of control. Don’t wait any longer. You deserve to have the emotional support and personal attention that will serve your livelihood and longevity. It’s time for you to recharge and expand your emotional capacity that will support every area of your life. I can help you to regain perspective, objectively look at your life and your health, and support you in finding clarity. The challenges you face in your professional and personal life are real and they affect your ability to focus and care for others. Let’s chat. Schedule your Complimentary 30 minute Clarity session with me today.
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Dr. Deb Howell supports healthcare professionals in reclaiming their health and personal power through mindful self-care practices that help them thrive and feel alive in their daily life! She offers deeply supportive and expansive services to the healthcare community as a Medical Health Advisor, educator, facilitator, and medical life coach. Dr. Howell is a licensed physical therapist, Navy veteran, and author of the books, Self-Care in Healthcare and Heart’s Alchemy.
If you are finding that you are at a crossroads in life and need support and direction, then Dr. Howell’s guidance, programs, and resources can help you to get back on track. Schedule to clarify your next steps and determine your plan of care.
*If you are feeling distressed and need immediate support please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 1-800-273-8255
