In Healthcare, we are braver, stronger, smarter, and more resilient than we give ourselves credit for being. Each day patients are counting on us across the continuum of care not just to deliver exceptional care but also to create a patient experience filled with compassion, dignity, and respect. Some days we may wish we had superpowers.

As caregivers, we do possess some essential superpowers:

To heal

To comfort

To empathize

To inspire hope

To give confidence

Sometimes our superpowers are temporarily hidden by negativity, self-doubt, or sheer distraction. Yet, they exist deep within us as caregivers and can return at any time, given supportive conditions. On the other hand, sometimes our superpowers come so naturally to us we don’t realize our own gifts, or we discredit the magnitude of our strengths.

The reality is that most people do not have the same superpowers as you do, which makes you uniquely qualified to deliver exceptional patient experiences.

New research indicates we need to put these superpowers to good work. According to an article written by Austin Frakt from the New York Times, “A hospital with patient experience scores that are 10 percentage points higher (e.g., 70 percent of patients satisfied vs. 60 percent) has a mortality rate that is 2.8% lower and a 30-day readmission rate that is 1.9 percentage points lower.”

Let’s take a pause and reflect on your gifts and find ways to feed your energy:

• When was a time you interacted with a patient, a family member, or a colleague when you felt amazing?
• What personal attributes have set the stage for your greatest successes in life to date?
• How do you pull yourself back up again after a disappointment or setback?
• Who in your circle builds your confidence and reinforces your greatness?
• Who can be your mentor to increase your confidence in areas where you feel timid?

Let’s be those superhero agents of change to combat anything that gets in the way of our efforts and to build up ours’ and each other’s superpowers every day!

Blog originally posted at katieowens.org

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