As a Healthcare Professional, why are New Year's Resolutions So Difficult to Maintain?

As a Healthcare Professional, why are New Year's Resolutions So Difficult to Maintain?

It's great to make a resolution for yourself. The end result is that, when you succeed, the people you share it with will rejoice with you! DirectShifts hosted an online on-demand event, "New Year, New Resolutions where our clinician partners came together to participate and discussed their New Year's resolutions and goals with us. DirectShifts wishes that all health professionals have the support and respect they deserve in the new year and beyond. No words are enough to express our gratitude for your tremendous work every day of the year.

Agenda

Active discussions about personal and professional development goals, as well as a new work-life balance.

Addressing how essential developing new skills is in these changing times.

A quiz to help us get to know our clinicians better and learn more about them.

Tips for developing new resumes, career development, and personal growth.

Key Highlights

We interviewed a few of our clinician partners and asked them about their personal and professional goals and plans for the new year. Things they want to change, their aspirations, their hopes, fears, and dreams. The first discussion that we had was with Victoria Masilang, working with DirectShifts as a Registered Nurse with 6 years of experience in the healthcare industry. A highly enthusiastic nurse with a contagious and positive work ethic, Victoria has exceptional skills in assessing, screening, and carrying out prescribed treatment of patients to support the long-term mission of healthcare organizations. Read to know her resolutions and plans for 2023 and the ways to maintain them being a healthcare professional:

Starting 2023, what are some of your goals for this new year?

So, I was actually thinking about this before some of the goals I really wanted to be more present and in the moment. I feel like I put myself on such a tight schedule with everything that I don't like. The day passes me by. I don't really get to enjoy it. And being a first-time mother. You know, I have these moments. Return to a different place. 

• First, I really want to be more present, more in the moment. 
• I also want to stay focused on school, so I'm still learning how to do that. 
• I want to learn how to budget my time better. 
• And of course, you know, save more. And we also want to buy a house this year. 

So that is my number one goal this year.

So, when you think about some of these New Year's resolutions, why are they often so difficult to maintain being a healthcare professional?

I think it's just that life gets in the way. Like me, you prioritize things that you believe are important, but in retrospect, they aren't because, as healthcare professionals, we all have things going on in our lives. It's not just us. So, you know, we all have to be cognizant of that, and I think the best approach would be to take it one day at a time, like meal preparation. 

Many healthcare workers are at risk for burnout, stress, and fatigue, and it's really a stressful job. What do you think about all this?

I believe that the state that America is in, and, you know, everyone just has so many illnesses, like comorbidities, and multiple diseases going on at the same time, is the cause of this. It's hard for us as healthcare workers to treat you when we have to rule you out for so many other things, and that's especially true for patients who genuinely want to get better, and sometimes we can't give you the explanations you're looking for. You know, I'm an advocate for schools. I love school. I love learning that, you know, college is just power.

But if you're not able to get back to school, if you're not able to do that, then I think just doing your research on what is the latest trend in healthcare what diseases are more prevalent now than ever? Now they're saying they're trying to be endemic and things like that. It's just good at this point in time to be informed and fair in order to avoid situations that may cause stress in the future.

What are some of the top three things you wish to set as your personal goals for 2023?

• As a healthcare worker, I would advise you to pace yourself in your daily activities, particularly at work. 
• Make sure you eat something. Make sure you use the bathroom. I hate to say it, but there have been days at work when I haven't used it, and I'm so busy I don't even get a chance to. 
• Thirdly, as if we were holding our breath, figuratively, over the entire ship like we were just waiting for the pins to drop. And I think that we have to get off that mentality of "something bad will happen" and just go through the day and do the best we can!

Click here to watch the full conversation: https://www.directshifts.com/events/new-year-new-resolutions