Who delivers the best, most consistently positive patient experience? People who are engaged, empowered and energized. And the good news is that all three of those traits are within your grasp. If you want to improve HCAHPS scores, work on staff engagement, empowerment & energy.
Engagement is simply the level of commitment you have toward your work and your organization. It is directly related to your connection to purpose. Making that connection is an inside job. No one can grant you a dose of engagement. It all comes down to your frame of mind, which is a choice.
Empowerment is feeling that you have the ability to make decisions for the good of your patient, team or self. The polar opposite of empowerment is victim-thinking. Victim thinkers focus on what they CAN’T do instead of reframing to what they CAN do. Again, this is a choice.
And lastly, finding and preserving your energy helps you deliver your best. But, like the first two traits, this is also a choice. Each of these can be challenging because it requires that you reflect on your thought patterns, resiliency and reactions to people and situations. It requires that you consciously choose your mindset even when you don’t feel like it.
These are challenging times in healthcare and just because I say it’s your choice doesn’t mean that it’s easy. But what I do know is that some of the most successful, fulfilled people I know are masters at all three. Here’s some additional food for thought:
“Be careful what you think, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful what you say, for your words become your actions.
Be careful what you do, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful what becomes habitual, for your habits become your destiny.”
