The American College of Physicians is calling on employers to offer support for clinicians to protect their well-being and ensure continued safe care for patients, according to an article posted Sept. 28.
The authors recommended every healthcare system implement a variety of recommendations beyond traditional stress-relief activities.
The recommendations include:
- Reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19 through vaccination mandates, access to protective personal equipment and implementation of policies and practices that ensure universal masking and adequate ventilation.
- Providing professional development to areas clinicians are citing as sources of emotional stress or moral injury.
- Providing clinicians with the opportunity and time to address COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation during clinical encounters.
- Supporting clinicians with children through flexible work schedules, support groups and supporting policies to reduce transmission in schools.
- Reducing non-mission critical administrative tasks.
- Implementing robust policies to barr discrimination and harassment, especially for minorities.
- Offering free and confidential mental health resources.
- Removing unnecessary mental and physical health diagnoses questions from employment and credentialing applications.
- Actively encouraging clinicians to take vacation and professional development days.
- Implementing suicide prevention strategies.
You can read the full article here.