Following the Wrong Crowd

This summer I planned a week off with a friend to go hiking and see a new area. Getting outdoors and working hard on a trail really clears the head!

This friend and myself have a poor track record with regard to getting lost, we have previously spent at least one night on the wrong side of the mountain that we were trying to walk around!

This day we headed out to go up to the top of a ridge. The path went over a creek on a very nice bridge and then onto a very well trodden path. We just followed the path. But guess what, it wasn’t the way. 

It looked easy and was well trodden, many others had clearly gone this way. However, It ended up at the wrong destination!

In good news there was another ridge to climb up to at the end of the path, so we went up to the top of the ridge and looked at the ridge we were supposed to have climbed!

On the way back we saw the less well trodden path that went to the ridge we had intended to climb. To find it we would have needed to pay attention to the direction that we wanted to go and taken the less well trodden path. Interesting.

I have had many physicians and clinical providers who work within a culture where the whole team is working well after the last patient has left. It’s just normal for the team to stay doing charts, inboxes and messages for hours and hours. Even the learners (students and residents) get into this groove. Ouch!

But it’s the norm. Just what everyone expects.

Do you know what’s fun? To leave minutes after the last patient does and with everything done.

You feel elated and there’s a spring in your step.

Initially it feels so weird to just be done.

But when you are done you are done and you get to go home.

So why wouldn’t you want that, minutes after the last patient leaves?

Why would you choose to stay for hours after the last patient leaves?

It might simply be because everyone else is staying.

Have you ever thought about creating a clinical day that ends when the last patient leaves?

It is possible. It just requires following a new and less trodden path!

Could it be possible that you start a new culture in your workplace? A culture where everyone goes home as the last patient leaves?

Wouldn’t that be more fun?

We would be delighted to help you find your new path! Get the help you need within the Charting Champions and Smarter Charting Programs.

This is exactly what we do - find your most simple solution to get you home with today’s work done today and keeping work within the clinical hours of your workday.

See you inside!