5 Lessons We Can Learn From Healthcare Workers

It’s hard to imagine life without healthcare workers. Doctors and nurses are among the first ones who check on us when we’re born. As we grow up, they take care of us when we’re sick and give us those necessary shots to keep us healthy. They treat our wounds and stitch us up when needed, too.

Pharmacists make sure we’ll feel better with the medicines we take. If we need further tests, there’s a radiologist or medical technologist who can do the lab work. Specialists also help manage the disease, while therapists help us recover. In between these, we have assistants, aids, and caregivers willing to go the extra mile to ensure patients receive adequate care. 

We appreciate their assistance all the more as they serve as front liners in the fight against the recent pandemic. In this challenging time, we’re glad to know that there are about 58 million healthcare workers who work tirelessly to protect individuals, communities, and nations against this dreaded disease. The 73rd World Health Assembly declaration of 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers isn’t only fitting, but it also allows us to learn valuable lessons from a dedicated workforce.

Lessons We Can Learn From Healthcare Workers

Whether they work in hospitals, clinics, or other settings, healthcare providers teach us these lessons we can readily apply to our daily lives: 

• TLC (Tender Loving Care) Is Important

Care is at the center of the health profession. Doctors, nurses, and other health personnel look after us when we enter healthcare settings until we’re all better. We feel their genuine concern for our well-being–from the hospital scrubs they wear to the various procedures and medicines they give. 

They even extend a listening ear and an emphatic smile when we voice our pains, fears, and concerns. Healthcare workers encourage and support us during recovery and even fill in when family members cannot visit. They not only serve as trusted healthcare providers but become our friends and family in the process. 

This emphasis on TLC isn’t only applicable in the healthcare environment as it also translates well to other service-oriented industries. When we put our clients and customers at the center of our business, we become more responsive to their needs. Understanding their issues and listening to their feedback allows us to do better. TLC also enables us to nourish relationships with the people who fuel our business’ growth. 

The same is true in our relationships. Healthcare workers teach us to love and care, making our homes and families happier. When we put family members ahead of ourselves, we become more open and compassionate. Being involved helps us reconnect with loved ones and foster meaningful interactions with others. 

• Life-long Learning Is Essential 

Healthcare workers embark on a journey of life-long learning to become competent professionals. A healthcare career often requires a degree and a state licensure exam. Apart from what they learned in school, both nurses and doctors may choose to gain additional certification to enrich their hospital or clinical experience. Their quest for knowledge allows them to keep up with increasing demands and evolving healthcare practices.

This means that healthcare professionals help us realize that knowledge is power. We can emulate this quality and become efficient in everything we do. The insights we gain can help us work better. It can even lead to better opportunities for work or service in the community. 

• Teamwork Is Imperative   

Healthcare workers understand that patient care is a team effort. Doctors, nurses, specialists, therapists, and aides all play a role in helping patients work their way towards recovery. Collaboration reduces safety concerns while communication among team members keeps workplaces safe and ensures that best practices are applied.

This perspective shows us that we all have something unique to contribute to our homes, workplaces, and communities. When we mirror this in our respective organizations, we can communicate better and achieve greater efficiency. Hence, we get to understand the value of different roles and appreciate the insights and skills that every team member brings. 

• Resilience Is Crucial 

Health workers are also incredibly resilient. This trait is amplified with their response to the ongoing pandemic. They show up for work and dedicate themselves to care for their patients, often taking on the roles of loved ones and family in particular circumstances. 

At times, they may even have to work under less desirable conditions, such as the lack of PPE or extended shifts. Doctors, nurses, and other staff carry on with their duties despite their fears of contracting the same disease that they’re fighting. They even sacrifice being isolated from their families to ensure the latter doesn’t get exposed to the virus. Through it all, they attend to their patients, rejoicing when they overcome and mourn with each life lost to COVID or other illness.

Their resilience can inspire individuals who also face challenges in life. While times are challenging, we need to muster our strength to rise above. We must continue to remain optimistic as things will eventually work out for our good. Let us choose to embrace rather than refuse change.

• Gratitude Goes A Long Way 

We look to caregivers to help us when we’re sick or when we have health issues. Their concerted efforts help us feel better. Despite the long hours they put in to ensure our recovery, they often go above and beyond to fulfill their calling. 

A simple thank you can boost their morale and relieve their fatigue despite long shifts and grueling rounds. When we express gratitude for saving our lives, we validate and assure them that they’re doing their best even if their working conditions are far from ideal.

Our healthcare workforce isn’t the only one that needs appreciation. We also have other essential workers who continue to their jobs to make our lives comfortable. Those working in the service, construction, and other industries are also worthy of our thanks. Showing gratitude makes us better persons and makes the world a great place.

Conclusion 

Healthcare workers can teach us a thing or two when it comes to how they fulfill their responsibilities. Their admirable traits are worth emulating in our homes, workplaces, and communities. When we do so, we don’t only show gratitude for their efforts, but we also advocate care, cooperation, and resilience as our personal and business values.