Ergonomics & Economics: How to Increase Job Satisfaction and Improve the Bottom Line

Recent data from 1,500 U.S. hospitals and survey insights from 100-plus executives across top U.S. health systems reveal one of the most pressing challenges facing today’s healthcare decision-makers: There is a nursing shortage crisis. What’s worse — 90% of hospital leaders interviewed expect the shortage to get worse as even more nurses leave bedside roles. 

Dr. Anjalee Galion, a physician active in organized medicine through the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association, wants to encourage other doctors to believe that everyone is better together. 

When asked, “What would you say to the growing number of physicians who are feeling burned out and thinking about leaving the field?” Dr. Galion answered, “The first thing is to feel validated. You are absolutely going through something extremely significant, and we now have the data to validate that this is not just a ‘you’ issue. This is a widespread issue of the system.”

And Galion is correct. Providers know it, patients know it. The numbers don’t lie. A survey by the Physicians’ Foundation shows that only 40% of physicians would recommend a career in medicine. And, according to Physicians Thrive’s 2023 compensation report, the shortage of doctors in the U.S. could reach 124,000 by 2034. Want to know why? Discover seven reasons doctors are leaving medicine.

But all is not lost; there is hope for turning things around. First, it stands to reason that healthy doctors provide better care. When physicians are safe and cared for, they in turn are able to offer safer quality care. Think about it: When you are on a plane, you have to put on your own mask before you help someone else with their mask. Airlines make this clear before every flight, but it’s too often forgotten in healthcare. 

How Hospitals Can Increase Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction research has been significant since the 1930s. In the 1980s, it became linked to quality of life at work, mental health, coworker and family relationships, and lifelong personal development. Today, job satisfaction is crucial, fostering a positive emotional state from work experiences, influencing worker behavior, and benefiting both organizations and employees. It even benefits patients too!

Low job satisfaction can stifle creativity and innovation, reduce performance, and cause stress or depression. A myriad of factors influence job satisfaction, and one of those is the type of seating for medical office staff, physicians, and patients. Ergonomic design is critical for both routine work and high-performance jobs. 

Streamlining Surgical Flows with All-In-One Procedure Chairs

With the multitude of reasons that drive patients to the emergency room, efficiently managing patient flow is essential. This is where the integration of all-in-one procedure chairs can revolutionize ER and surgical suite operations.

These innovative procedure chairs offer a versatile solution to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. Here’s how they can make a significant difference:

Versatility in Patient Handling: These chairs can be easily adjusted for various procedures, eliminating the need for multiple transfers and reducing the time spent on repositioning patients. From initial assessment to surgical intervention, the chair adapts to the patient’s needs, whether for examination, imaging, or surgery.

Improved Workflow Efficiency: By minimizing the number of times a patient needs to be moved, all-in-one chairs streamline the workflow, allowing medical staff to focus more on critical tasks rather than logistical challenges. This leads to faster diagnosis and treatment times.

Enhanced Patient Comfort and Safety: Frequent transfers can be distressing and risky for patients, especially those in critical condition. All-in-one chairs provide a stable and comfortable environment, reducing the risk of falls or other transfer-related injuries.

Reduced Time to Surgery: When a patient requires surgical intervention, the time from ER admission to the operating room is critical. All-in-one chairs can be quickly and efficiently moved to the surgical suite, minimizing delays and optimizing surgical readiness.

Optimized Use of Space: These chairs are designed to be compact and multifunctional, allowing for better utilization of space within the ER and surgical suites. This is particularly beneficial in high-volume hospitals where space is at a premium.

Simplified Post-Operative Care: Post-surgery, the same chair can be used for recovery, providing continuity of care and reducing the need for additional equipment. This seamless transition supports better patient monitoring and recovery.

Enhanced Staff Efficiency: Medical personnel can work more effectively when they are not burdened with moving and repositioning patients multiple times. This efficiency translates to more time dedicated to patient care and less physical strain on staff.

Cost-Effective Operations: Investing in all-in-one surgical procedure chairs can reduce the need for multiple pieces of equipment, lowering maintenance costs and the need for extensive inventories. This is a smart investment that pays off in operational savings.

Improved Patient Throughput: With faster admissions, treatments, and discharges, hospitals can handle a higher volume of patients without compromising on the quality of care. This is particularly crucial during peak times or mass casualty events.

Enhanced Life-Saving Potential: Ultimately, the efficiency and effectiveness of these chairs can lead to quicker interventions and treatments. In emergency situations, every second counts, and the time saved can be the difference between life and death.

Read More: “Making Every Second Count” Streamlining Surgical Flows”

What Is Ergonomic Design?

Ergonomic design, also known as human-centered design, is a discipline focused on creating products, systems, and/or environments that enhance comfort, efficiency, and usability by considering human abilities and limitations. 

This approach integrates principles from biomechanics, psychology, physiology, and engineering to ensure that designs are tailored to fit the physical and cognitive needs of users. Key aspects of ergonomic design include:

• Comfort: Ensuring that users can interact with products or environments without experiencing discomfort or strain. This often involves considering body posture, reach, and the forces applied during use.
• Efficiency: Streamlining design to enhance productivity and reduce the effort required to perform tasks. This can involve optimizing the layout of controls, tools, and interfaces.
• Safety: Minimizing the risk of injury or harm by designing to avoid repetitive strain, awkward postures, and other hazards.
• Usability: Making products or systems intuitive and easy to use, often by following principles of user-centered design and usability testing.

Results from scientific studies show that changes to physical and organizational ergonomics can improve job satisfaction. (Organizational ergonomics optimizes socio-technical systems, while physical ergonomics focuses on anthropometry and biomechanics.) By prioritizing the well-being and capabilities of users, ergonomic design aims to create environments and products that are not only functional but also enhance the overall user experience.