5 Ways to Boost Urgent Care Clinic Morale During Uncertain Times

It’s been a tough few months for healthcare workers coast to coast as they deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Boost clinic morale with these easy and thoughtful tips to let them know just how much you appreciate them!

1. Play pre-opening Minute to Win It games.

Help your staff start their day with a smile and maybe a little prize in their pocket. It’s fun, inexpensive, and usually hilarious. According to mental health professionals, laughter is a good way to relieve anxiety, decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells. It also triggers endorphins to promote feelings of well-being.

Spinning off the once super-popular game show, Minute to Win It games are one-minute challenges involving a few supplies, a little effort, and your creativity. There are tons of game ideas online, but here are a few that allow contestants to adhere to social distancing recommendations.

• Separation Anxiety: Each contestant is given a plate with 60 multi-color M&Ms and six plastic cups. When the timer starts, they must separate the candy by color into each cup. The person who is able to separate the most candy into the appropriate cup in 60 seconds wins.
• Bobblehead: Each contestant is given a headband with a pedometer attached. Set a timer for 60 seconds. When the timer starts, contestants shake their heads as vigorously as possible to achieve the most movement. The winner is the person who goes the farthest distance on the pedometer in one minute.
• Cookie Face: Just about everyone loves a cookie, and in this game, participants won’t even get their hands dirty. Players place a sandwich cookie on their forehead then use the muscles in their face to move it down into their mouths—without using their hands. The winner is the first person to get the cookie in his mouth and experience the sweet taste of success.

2. Provide a quiet space.

Turn one of your exam rooms or any empty room into a comfortable quiet space for your staff to re-center and take a breath when they feel overwhelmed.  Provide blankets and pillows, water or hot tea, and room to stretch out muscle kinks. Bring in a lamp and keep the lights low.

Make this space into a sanctuary where they can recharge in the middle of a busy day or take a time out when they’re overcome by their own emotions.

According to PsychCentral, silence has been shown to boost overall well-being, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, and decrease stress by lowering blood cortisol levels and adrenaline.

When a healthcare crisis like a pandemic happens, healthcare workers are not only working long hours in difficult circumstances, they are also putting themselves and their families at risk every day.

3. Send a positive weekly email.

Staying in regular communication with everyone on your staff via a weekly (or even daily) email shows them you appreciate their dedication and long hours. Include messages of gratitude and inspiration. If there are changes in schedules, new procedures in place, or local news that might affect their jobs, a regular email can be the easiest way to make sure everyone is in the know and reduce any uncertainties, which relieves their stress.

• Keep your staff updated on changes to the situation.
• Give kudos.
• Share inspiration and success stories.

4. Lunch and Lift.

During a healthcare crisis, people can be overwhelmed by bad news and fear. Give them something to lift their spirits.

One day a week, find a local restaurant to provide lunch to show you support small businesses in your community. In addition to lunch, provide a link to a short, inspirational TedTalk or video to help your team cope. You can let everyone know the topic in your weekly email and make the link available during lunch with an option of watching it in their own free time.

Time set aside to enjoy a meal together can strengthen the message that you’re all in this together and it will provide time to lighten up when the load seems heavy.

An enjoyable time out like a lunch-and-lift reminds your staff how much they’re appreciated.

5. Power Up Notes.

Positive energy is contagious—and it’s something worth spreading, especially during uncertain times.

Keep track of the little things your staff does everyday that makes a difference to your clinic and to your patients. Using sticky notes or even colored paper cards, post power up notes on a “boost board” to thank them and share the love throughout your clinic. Encourage everyone on your staff to contribute and spread the positive energy.

At Experity, lifting others up is one of our core values. We do it for each other and for our clients. We hope that by supporting your efforts with some positive reinforcement, you’ll be encouraged to do the same.