Reasons Why Healthcare Workers Also Needs Counseling
Healthcare workers are constantly working under pressure and can be exposed to various situations that may cause them emotional stress. There is a need for counseling in the healthcare industry to ensure that staff members who deal with patients on a daily basis do not develop complications because of a lack of counseling.
High workloads
High degrees of stress are part and parcel of the healthcare professional role. Workload pressures, both real and perceived, are a huge problem for many healthcare professionals. This can be due to increasing work expectations, increased patient numbers per provider, or limited resources – but whatever the cause it can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed by demands, which in turn leads to elevated stress levels.
A survey conducted on 123 new doctors revealed that they were expected to work an average of 73 hours per week which is way above the legal working limit of 48 hours per week. The added stress causes poor sleeping patterns, mood swings, and depression as manifested in a study where 50% was attributed to self-reported symptoms of burnout syndrome. This alarming statistic prompts the need for counseling therapy for healthcare professionals because of the adverse consequences that it will bring. Counseling can be very useful in formulating a plan to help them improve their work-life balance and overcome these conditions for them to stay mentally healthy despite being exposed to greater stress compared with most other professions. Through counseling, you can learn to understand yourself better in terms of how you communicate with others – this can help to find ways of reducing your stress levels at work. This in turn may reduce the risk of developing physical symptoms associated with chronic stress.
Lack of control over one’s workflow
A sense of being able to control one’s work environment is a vital component of good mental health. When a worker understands why they are doing something, and feels that others value their contribution, it can reduce feelings of stress and even depression. Opportunities for learning new skills on the job should be provided where possible – not only does this give staff reasons for feeling good about themselves but also helps them understand their role in more depth, giving them a better understanding of the impact they have on patients/service outcomes.
Understanding what your values are or even moral convictions are important too – if you don’t feel comfortable performing a particular procedure for patients etc it may lead to feelings of guilt which can contribute to stress levels even further. By talking with a counselor you can explore what your beliefs are and how they impact the job.
Co-worker problems
Working in a difficult environment can be extremely stressful – if staff members do not get along with one another it’s likely that stress levels will increase. It’s important for management to understand that when people have problems at work, these issues need to be resolved through support from an impartial third party – counseling is often a great way of achieving this. Furthermore, if staff know the rules but don’t feel confident about sticking to them, stress levels also increase as a result of feeling powerless in dealing with colleagues who may be abusive or even bullying towards them; talking about such situations with someone who has experience dealing with conflict resolution can be very helpful.
Workplace stress is an issue that’s gaining more press at the moment – it’s now to the point where mental health support is being provided in many organizations as well as training for managers on how they can best deal with staff concerns. Healthcare workers are often required to care for others, sometimes at the expense of their own health and wellbeing; by taking part in counseling sessions you can take control of these symptoms before they spiral out of control.
In conclusion, it is important for healthcare workers to have counseling as a complement to their work as they are exposed to great amounts of stress and risk developing conditions such as burnout syndrome if not given the necessary support from family, friends, and colleagues. Counseling can also be used as a way for them to seek help in order for them to better cope with their daily lives while maintaining a balance between family, career, and other responsibilities.