A new report from the Joint Commission addresses ways healthcare organizations can better manage the concerns and needs of workers, who have been pushed to the limit by the COVID-19 pandemic. These include five key efforts to support health care workers:
- Foster open and transparent communication to build trust, reduce fears, build morale, and sustain an effective workforce.
- Remove barriers to health care workers seeking mental health services and develop systems that support institutional, as well as individual resilience.
- Protect workers’ safety using the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) Hierarchy of Controls framework.
- Develop a flexible workforce: evaluate the work being performed and determine if it can be performed remotely.
- Provide clinicians and others with opportunities to collaborate, lead, and innovate.
