PPEP-Balancing Professional and Personal Demands

Every physician faces this issue, regardless of specialty. JH Pfifferling founded The Center for Professional Well-Being in 1979 with two other physicians to promote..."well-being among healthcare professionals, including students, and their families, their practice organizations, and other professionals."

In a recent article, he offers some practical suggestions to reduce workplace stress and relieve tension while maintaining productivity.

nRegularly assess practice goals and missions; where does the balance fit in?

nRegularly review the practice’s organizational health

nPrivately give feedback when someone is overloaded

nSchedule meetings so they don’t interfere with family time

nHire a locums so you can hold meetings during work time

nOffer skills workshops on balance, career development, mentoring and stress management

nEstablish QA guidelines that do not reward workaholic behavior

nSet up standards of interpersonal behavior so you can systematically change imbalance

nEstablish a promotion policy that takes diverse work style or pace into consideration

nLearn peers’ professional exhausters so you can better allocate those exhausters

nEstablish a preventive disruptive physician policy