The Essential Guide to Healthcare Professional Wellness

Book excerpt: Healthcare professionals throughout the world heed a calling that compels them to devote their lives to the treatment of their patients. While this work is generally rewarding, these professionals frequently fall victim to stressors and happiness barriers that impact their ability to function at work, the longevity of their career and the quality of their relationships outside of the hospital. Burnout, diminished career fulfilment, substance abuse, and suicide data for healthcare professionals demonstrate that the risks to this population are incredibly real. Unfortunately, there is nothing to suggest that any of these stressors are improving as pandemics, access disparities, changes in healthcare system structure, and patient complexity further escalate work-related challenges. Thankfully, there are sources of help readily available to each of us. All healthcare professionals have encountered a colleague, mentor or expert who has already navigated or has a perspective on how to thrive in the setting of hardship. This book will organize the voices of these leaders in a way that provides readers with a source for advice and inspiration. Sections of chapters are dedicated to work-life balance, family, finances, faith, resiliency, and recovery. For those healthcare workers actively caring for patients and struggling with their career, this book will serve as a source of solace and inspiration that should help to reinvigorate and extend a successful career.