(by Kelly Duggan, RDH, AICI CIC )

Dental and healthcare practices are in the same boat as many industries these days. Unfortunately, understaffing remains an issue and isn’t projected to change any time soon. With this comes stress. And, simply put, overworked employees (including practice owners/managers) experiencing high levels of stress are less productive.

You may find this issue has reached your practice, along with the potential for anxiety, depression, burnout and potentially even serious illness. How do you work through or around these understaffing stresses? How do you assure that your patients/clients are treated with and experience the professional and courteous care they’ve received in the past and expect to receive today?

Here are a few strategies that might alleviate some of these stresses, while assuring a positive patient care experience.

• Communication is key! Acknowledge that you’re understaffed, then work together to take actions to rectify or work around the situation.
• Consider the systems/procedures you have in place. Could they be reworked and refined to better match the flow of current staffing issues? Can responsibilities be reprioritized?
• Outside of team members with specific certifications or licensures, are your current staff in the right roles? Don’t hesitate to talk with them and redeploy them as needed.
• When possible, allow your staff to trade responsibilities. If they have some personal control in the work/tasks to be completed, it will help alleviate the stress they’re experiencing.
• Whether it’s a sincere “thank you for your extra efforts” or a special event/gift, reward your current staff for ALL that they do.

And, of course, stay aware. Look for signs of stress in yourself and in your team.

Originally featured on LinkedIn

Written by Kelly Duggan, RDH, AICI CIC