It's Time to Appreciate Contribution Beyond RVUs: A Thank You to Healthcare Professionals
Making a Deposit in Your Metaphorical
Appreciation Jar
For the record, I appreciate you.
Your silent efforts deserve to be recognized, and I want to acknowledge that.
All too often, your "performance" as a healthcare professional is measured against standards that fail to recognize the time, commitment, and effort you bring to patient care every day.
More and more, you may feel your worth is defined by numbers.
Without suggesting that standards of care in medicine aren't necessary, let's also recognize that the common benchmarks against which you're judged miss some of the most important contributions you make to healthcare.
Of course, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction are at the heart of excellent healthcare. But how are we defining success in those areas? Further, when does operational efficiency and adherence to clinical guidelines trump slowing down for a patient in need or considering each patient's unique circumstances? Last but not least, is productivity and financial performance truly about delivering quality health care or more about the realities of the healthcare business?
And suppose these are the primary metrics for assessing your worth as a healthcare professional. What happens when these metrics don't align with your vision of how to provide compassionate and superior patient care?
A prominent factor in job and career dissatisfaction is not feeling appreciated at work. This happens all too often in today’s healthcare environment.
It's not acceptable to expect healthcare professionals to show up every day, regularly make personal sacrifices to appease work demands, and not acknowledge their contributions in any way.
So, let's start naming the hidden labor of healthcare professionals.
The Silent Work of Healthcare Professionals, Recognized
You bring value to healthcare in endless ways that aren't captured in most metrics. This woefully incomplete list attempts to let you know the many ways you are valued and appreciated beyond the typical benchmarks.
The Emotional Labor of Patient Care
Within the medical chart, so meticulously scrutinized for evidence of outcomes, productivity, and billing accuracy, you'll never find mention of the time you:
held a frightened patient's hand,
gave extra time to the husband who was overwhelmed being a 24/7 caregiver for his wife with dementia, or
the hours you spent relentlessly rehashing a patient's complex medical condition, trying to find a way to improve their quality of life
There's no record of how you contributed to a calm and safe environment for your colleagues, patients, and their families - even when you felt overwhelmed, uncertain, and drained.
Or the times you stayed when your mind and body were desperate to escape.
For this, I appreciate you.
The Unmeasured Impacts On Patient Outcomes
You don't get points for operational efficiency when you circle back to check on a patient one last time at the end of your shift or take time to address an error that may have otherwise led to a critical event.
Without a doubt, you aren't credited for the hours you spend advocating for patients, whether by jumping through bureaucratic hoops to get the cost of medications or procedures covered or defending your patient when it's not in their best interest to leave the hospital before adequate home health resources have been secured.
For this, I appreciate you.
The Weight of the Front Line
You guide others through birth, life, and death. The usual measures don't acknowledge how you make space for and honor these most precious and private moments of patients' lives.
And they certainly don't give you credit for valiantly and seamlessly moving between pain, celebration, and heartache from one exam room to the next.
It's not acknowledged that you continue to show up and strive to meet benchmarks that are blind to staffing and supply shortages, at-risk populations, environmental challenges, or your own humanity.
For this, I appreciate you.
And I support you. Because even if none of this is measured, it all matters.
Perhaps more critical than acknowledgment by others is your ability to recognize that your contributions can never be adequately reflected by a metric.
This is where self-appreciation comes into play.
How to Appreciate Your Own Contribution When You're Not Recognized at Work
As I mentioned earlier, being appreciated at work is a significant factor in whether or not you find career satisfaction.
If you've been frustratingly waiting to be recognized at work, I gently suggest that you give yourself what you need first.
Is it fair? No.
But if it means avoiding falling into resentment and cynicism, it's likely in your best interest.
How do you start to appreciate yourself? Try out these strategies.
Acknowledge That You Contribute Beyond Metrics
You know this. I know this. But how often do you credit yourself for all you do?
Create a ritual at the end of your workday to recognize how you contributed to quality healthcare that day.
Let go of focusing on the numbers and benchmarks. Instead, ask yourself:
"Who did I help today?"
"What actions did I take that felt meaningful?"
"What am I proud of?"
You know the answers to these questions are just as important as others' imposed standards. Take note.
Create Evidence That You Are Appreciated
Our brains have a way of holding on to the negative in our day. We're just wired that way.
Every time you receive words of gratitude or appreciation from patients and colleagues, document it. And don't forget the nonverbal expressions of gratitude.
You're tracking impact, not output.
You can use a journal or the notes app on your phone to create evidence that you are appreciated at work. Having a log is great for overriding negativity bias. Reviewing the evidence can also be a mood-booster on the tough days.
Another added benefit: by paying attention to the times you feel appreciated at work, you'll start noticing all the subtle nods of gratitude you might have previously missed.
Are you too busy to track all the ways you're appreciated at work? At the very least, keep a folder of all the thank-you notes and heartfelt gifts patients share with you.
Be An Advocate for Helping Others to Feel Seen and Heard
We all want to be seen and heard.
It's frustrating and disheartening to feel overlooked. And yet, it's surprisingly easy to fall into the rut of thinking, "Well, that's the job."
That may be true, but it doesn't diminish the thought, effort, and attention that goes into showing up and caring for others. If you're not feeling appreciated at work, chances are the people around you aren't either.
Why not be an instigator for appreciation? When you start expressing appreciation and recognizing others for their contribution, chances are they'll respond in kind.
A little effort can create a big impact.
You Are Valued and Appreciated
You are more than your productivity.
Healthcare professionals provide a significant amount of value in silent, often unrecognized labor, whether it's emotional or intellectual.
Whether these efforts are noted or not, it doesn't make them less meaningful.
Your contribution can't be defined by numbers and metrics alone. Your impact can't always be seen or measured, but it can certainly be felt. Acknowledge that.
And when you're feeling unseen, consider what makes you feel appreciated. Then, get creative and make a contribution to your metaphorical appreciation jar.
Want to learn more about introvert strengths and weaknesses in the healthcare setting?
Learn how to protect and support your energy for greater well-being with the Energy Management for Introverts in Healthcare guide.
You can access it for free here.
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Charity is a physician and burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.