Why Healthcare Workers Need To Take Care Of Their Own Health

Updated on November 20, 2020
Two hospital staffs - surgeon, doctor or nurse standing with arms crossed in the hospital. Medical healthcare and doctor service.

Hospitals and clinics are at a huge risk of infection, exposing healthcare workers to different types of diseases and infections. Healthcare professionals are well aware of the importance of proper personal hygiene and taking care of their own health. But, sometimes, they lose focus due to stress and burnout.

This article explains why healthcare workers should take care of their own health.

Ensure They Are Able To Effectively Perform Their Duties

Healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, need to be properly equipped to handle all types of medical emergencies. In addition to that, healthcare workers need to know how to prevent infection in these establishments. 

Medical professionals know how to take good care of their patients and properly sterilize instruments, where to store them, what materials to use for the cleaning and disinfection process, and where to dispose of these tools after each use. However, if a healthcare professional is not at their best condition, it may affect their ability to perform their duties. That’s why doctors, nurses, and caregivers must also take care of their health to perform at their best to ensure quality medical practice. 

Prevent Illness

One of the best ways for medical professionals to stay healthy and disease-free is to keep a good diet and exercise. 

There’s some controversy surrounding the relationship between weight and health. Even though the link between being overweight and the onset of heart disease, cancer, and other serious medical conditions is still being studied, researchers have shown that being overweight can be a leading cause of some serious diseases. 

In addition, healthcare workers should be eating right to prevent illnesses, most especially COVID-19 or coronavirus. Sometimes, healthcare workers miss eating their meals because they’re too busy. That’s why healthy meal delivery services are good option if they don’t have time to cook their own meals. 

Enough Rest And Sleep To Be Energized The Next Day

It’s hard to keep up with all of the things and stressors that a medical professional experience every day. With a lack of sleep, a medical professional can run into a lot of problems. This can make it very difficult for someone to do the healthcare job well.

A lack of sleep can cause missing important deadlines. Many workers in the health care industry are at risk of falling behind in their jobs because of the lack of sleep they get on a regular basis. For instance, straight hours of duty can cause sleep problems, which may lead to poor performance.

Avoid Becoming The Source of Infection

When a nurse or doctor comes into contact with other people, they must always be aware of how to behave in order to avoid infecting anyone. While the typical medical care provider has been trained to be properly clean and disinfected, a hectic schedule that opens the professional to handle a lot of patients may lose anyone’s focus on protecting oneself. 

If a healthcare worker fails to implement strict health and safety protocols, the person may become a source of infection. Viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms can easily be transmitted from one patient to another because the healthcare professional is sick or infected due to a lack of safety measures. 

Stay Fit And Healthy To Avoid Burnout

Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, caregivers, and nursing aides work hard to provide healthcare services to their patients, ensuring that the people they treat get the very best possible care. But they also need to get the proper rest to allow them to do their jobs better and avoid burnout. 

People who are working long hours in stressful environments, such as hospitals and clinics, are at risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases, as well as anxiety and depression if they don’t exercise regularly.

To stay fit and healthy, healthcare workers should do the following:

  • Take a break when they feel too tired.
  • Eat a well-balanced diet.
  • Take enough rest and a sufficient number of hours of sleep at night.
  • Exercise regularly and stay active through sports or any other outdoor activities.
  • Consider holistic therapy, such as yoga, massage therapy, and chiropractic treatment for back pains.

Conclusion 

The work environment where healthcare workers are exposed can be so hazardous, harsh, and infected. To ensure that they provide the best service for their patients, healthcare workers should take care of their own health. 

Proper hygiene, eating right, regular exercise, enough sleep and rest, and personal care can go a long way toward ensuring that healthcare professionals are healthy and feeling great. 

+ posts

Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.