OR Manager June 2023 - 9

Human Resources
cal and mental well-being, the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) emphasizes
additional considerations that
include regular exercise, eating healthy
and regularly, staying hydrated, pursuing
relaxing activities, and making sleep a
priority.
As professionals in the business of
caring, our personal and professional
success has often been built on the
ability to establish priorities and set
goals. Maintaining the ability to set priorities
and goals is an essential skill
set that should be assessed and reaffirmed
within our individual and leadership
practice.
The ability to anticipate and prioritize
tasks can often be overwhelmed by
the speed or volume of demands, but
we must reconnect with the structure
that sustains our purpose. Using written
lists, use of physical or electronic calendars
to organize or schedule tasks,
and choosing to prioritize value-adding
tasks and essential responsibilities can
nurture a sense of internal control in
the face of continual disruption and the
chaos inherent to surgical services and
healthcare.
Macy Burkett with The University of
Kansas, Lawrence, recently shared a
piece on the pillars of self-care: mental,
emotional, physical, environmental,
spiritual, recreational, and social (sidebar,
The seven pillars of self-care). These
pillars are particularly meaningful for
leaders in elements that can benefit our
teams and better the workplace.
With the first pillar being mental,
there is a need to introduce and practice
mindfulness and curiosity in our
practice and processes. How are we
allowing our teams and ourselves to
creatively think and contribute to our operational
and strategic initiatives?
The second pillar is emotional, and
we can support others in this area by
offering help even when it has not been
solicited and establishing norms that
embrace personal and professional
boundaries that keep work at work and
within the working hours.
Physical is the third pillar, and leaders
can support this pillar by ensuring
regular breaks, time for lunches, and
encourage staff to consider participating
in any number of organizational or community
events that promote being and
staying active.
The fourth pillar is environmental,
and leaders can have an outsized impact
on creating and maintaining a supportive
environment for their teams. Are
the break rooms set away from the bustle
and noise pollution? Is there somewhere
to get away after a particularly
challenging case or workday that offers
a quiet and soothing environment?
Spiritual is the fifth pillar, and leaders
can support their staff in this area
by encouraging participation in activities
or practices that give a sense of meaning
and align to the personal values of
individual team members. Activities that
can strengthen this pillar can include
getting out into nature or volunteering to
give back to others.
The sixth pillar is recreational. Leaders
can support this pillar by encouraging
their team members to get away and
truly disconnect in pursuit of relaxation,
play, and adventure. The seventh and
final pillar is social. As leaders, have we
built an environment characterized by
healthy boundaries and a sense of inclusion,
connectedness, belonging, support,
and seeing every team member as
vital to the success of the organization?
Expressing interest in those activities
or pursuits that align to the pillars
of self-care can motivate and enliven
our team members while creating, promoting,
and sustaining an environment
where these wellness activities and
strategies are employed by an ever-expanding
circle of individuals to the benefit
of teams and the entire organization.
Leaders who deliver through these behaviors
can develop and nurture a workplace
culture that thrives by strengthening
the mental health and wellness of
individuals and groups through supportive
behaviors that embrace and nurture
the seven pillars of self-care.
Self-care looks different for everyone,
so we also need to recognize where our
personal or professional contribution
ends and when it is time to lean on
professional resources or supportive
services. As leaders, we need to continually
look out for each other and our
teams as we maintain our focus on the
delivery of safe patient care, contribute
to the profession we love, and pursue
the passions that will enhance our future
contributions. ORM
-Dr Josh Wymer, DNP,
MSPM, MA, RN, CNOR, NEABC,
CHCIO, CDH-E, FACHE,
FAAN, is founding chief clinical
officer of Shifthive, Inc,
a SaaS solution in the healthcare workforce
management space. He previously
served as chief health information officer
and chief nursing informatics officer for
the US Navy and Defense Health Agency.
He has an extensive background in perioperative
nursing and surgical services
management and also serves as vice
president, board of directors, at the Competency
& Credentialing Institute.
If you or anyone you know is in crisis, please call the National Helpline, 1-800662-HELP
(4357), a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year mental health and
substance use disorder treatment referral and information service available in
English and Spanish. Individuals or families can also get immediate support by
calling or texting 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
www.ormanager.com
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OR Manager June 2023

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