Why preventing health industry burnout and staff turnover is important for patient care

Good workplace culture should not be exclusive to corporate settings. It’s also crucial to the delivery of effective health services because of the impact on patient care.

A positive culture ensures patients aren’t bounced between healthcare professionals and have continuity of care.

Healthcare professionals are also less likely to experience burnout and are more inclined to stay in their roles when working in a positive environment.

By reducing turnover in the workplace, we can ensure that patients coming to use health services are greeted by the same faces, staff who know their treatment history and who they have a trusted relationship with.

Going to see any healthcare provider can be a vulnerable time, so the easier we can make it on patients, the better. Ensuring they are treated by kind, happy and familiar staff is a highly undervalued part of running a healthcare operation.

Five years ago, a strategic decision was made to invest more heavily in staff wellbeing to help build the practice culture. An executive coach was brought in to help with leadership and professional and personal development.

I wanted staff to be leaders in their space and feel they had freedom in their role to collaborate, so they came to work with a purpose and left with a sense of achievement.

I also wanted to create a workplace where the whole team valued leadership, autonomy, creativity, and purpose.

The unique challenges posed by the close physical nature of dental work means a well-defined culture, anchored in values and expectations, is more likely to attract workers who resonate with these principles.

It’s a reminder that culture starts in the application process and not when an employee joins the practice.

In an industry where precision and teamwork are crucial, competition within the business, even leadership conflicts, can sabotage patient care, so it’s important every employee is aligned with the practice culture.

Health practices must be places of healing, care and comfort rather than sources of ambitions, tension and additional stress.

Five ways to build a practice culture that priorities patient care:

• Create dedicated spaces – Allocating dedicated rooms and spaces at the practice provides relaxed hubs and time away from treatment rooms. These meeting places allow staff to connect, chat, and unwind, and they promote a culture of open dialogue outside the confines of the structured work environment.
• Host recognition and achievement events – Hosting social events that recognise achievements and work commitments is great for morale and staff to feel valued. It ensures that everyone feels their skills and expertise are contributing to the success of the practice.
• Invest in leadership and personal development – Offering workshops on stress management, patient care and work/life balance leads to more authentic and happier teams that flows to patient care. By helping staff with personal development, they develop growth mindsets and feel supported with learning and developing professionally.
• Staff training evenings – Dedicated training events support clinical teams, marketing and admin personnel to enhance their skills and knowledge in the specific area relevant to their roles and feel comfortable sharing their patient experience and role in clinical outcomes.
• Hire staff with the same values – By conveying cultural values at the recruitment phase, the practice sets the tone for an aligned workforce with the shared goal of empathy and a commitment to care and respect during patient treatment.

Dr Adrian Kat is a restorative dentist and director of Advanced Dental Artistry.