medical sppeaker and medical author and humorist, Dr. Pat Raymond speaks on nursing retention, nursing shortage, and burnout and stress in medicine.
Nursing Burnout & Staff Retention Strategies

Leading Nurses and Physicians to "Turn Care Inward"
motivational speaker, medical hiumor, keynote speaker, health care speaker, health care humor, health care conference, medical conference
Multitasking in Medicine

Patricia L. Raymond MD FACP FACG

Rx For Sanity

613 River Stand, Suite 200

Chesapeake VA 23320

Phone: 757-547-0368   Fax: 757-549-2538

E-mail: PLRaymond@RxForSanity.com
job satisfaction, nurse, physician, doctor, burnout, staff retention, nurse shortage, nursing shortageDr. Pat Raymond is a medical speaker, author, and medical humorist, and is a member of the pretigious National Speakers Association. She speaks on nursing burnout, nursing shortage, nursing retention, physician burnout.

Text Box: Let’s face it; somewhere in every HCP is an inner need to help our fellow man. All of our fellow men. Why else would we face the long hours, the vending machine food eaten on the run, the nights on call or graveyard shift, and those cranky, thankless, occasionally smelly, and often litigious members of the public? Well, it generally yields a nice lifestyle. We can afford to raise our family and take the role as spouse and parent (and dinner-host, scout-organizer, slumber-party monitor, and after-school activity booster). And our own families aren’t the only one to grow (so now you are an in-law, an aunt, an uncle). And there are the community activities (neighbor, church-goer, community association member, Rotarian, professional organization supporter, public radio sponsor). And then there’s work -- colleague, co-worker, perhaps even boss. And, of course, Medical Caregiver. Notice how our Christmas card list only grows? And how our time shrinks? But we’re not done yet – there are all those around-the-house jobs (carpenter, painter, accountant, chauffeur, and closet-boogie-man inspector). Even less time. So what gives? Well, what “gives” are the roles we’d rather play, like novel reader, hobbyist, movie-goer, friend, lover. Even hammock tester. Or simply a few hours without any clearly defined role-category at all. There’s never enough time to care for ourselves, what with all the roles we play. We keep helping our fellow man, rather than ourselves. It’s easy to find ourselves saddled with too many roles. Without realizing it, our souls begin to feel like the taffy in the stretching machine on the carnival midway (not sugary and tasty, but endlessly churning). THE EXERCISE: Set the oven timer. In 15 minutes, list all the roles you play in life. If it helps, identify these points with gruff McCoy-isms (i.e., “I’m a doctor, not a gas station attendant”). Of course, don’t forget the weekly things, like soccer duties (“…not a coach!”), mowing the lawn (“…not a gardener!”), or L’amour (“…not a Casanova!”). We’ll even spot you the first one. Try for at least sixty! When complete, take a moment to review all your roles. Circle the ones you place value on. Place a star before those you wish to be remembered for after you are gone. It is a good idea to keep this list in the back of your mind. If you are over-extended, try to figure ways to remove some of the unimportant roles. Delegate, for heaven’s sake! Hire jobs out. If anything, learn to say “no” more. Try to find time to devote to the roles that have value to you.



Patricia Raymond MD FACP FACG is a Virginia gastroenterologist who takes the personnel hemorrhage in medicine seriously, and herself lightly. Formerly fried by compassion fatigue, and a frankly cranky caregiver, Dr.Raymond writes and speaks on helping physicians and nurses to play nicely in the sandbox of medicine.

 

Her books, “Don’t Jettison Medicine” and the cult comedy anthology “Colonoscopy: It’ll Crack u Up” are available at www.RxForSanity.com, or you can hear her on streaming audio each Friday from 12-1 EST as she hosts NPR’s Housecalls challenging patients to step up and accept responsibility for their own health.

 

Contact her at PLRaymond@RxForSanity.com.

Get more on booking Dr. Raymond’s presentations for your hospital  at  Rx For Sanity

 

Pre and Post Colonoscopy Humor can be found at the quirky Colonoscopy: It’ll Crack u Up

 

Listen and call in to live streaming audio as Dr. Raymond teaches the public to accept responsibility for their own health Fridays 12-1 EST on NPR’s Housecalls with Dr. Pat Raymond

Dr Raymond’s patient-centered gastro practice