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The healthcare field is known as one of the most stressful occupations out there and with good reason.  Worried patients and their families, at times, can easily take this stress out on innocent aides.  The same can go with doctors and nurses, as well.  It is unnecessary to increase this stress when you when you have the possibility to eliminate it with a more welcoming work space.

While some stressful situations simply cannot be avoided, there are ways to make even a nurse’s aides workplace a little less stressful.

• Encourage familiarity between STNAs and patients.  See if you can get patients to bring in pictures of themselves and their families.  Hospices, nursing homes, hospitals, and other nursing facilities can easily become cold, uncomfortable places.  By incorporating personal pictures, it makes the patient more personable.  If the patient is older, a picture from their youth could remind the patient of better times and show the nurse’s aide a different side to the patient.
• Brighten up the office.  No matter the field, no one likes to work in a stark, dreary environment.  Maybe a few live plants could boost the place up.  A fresh coat of paint could add a modern edge or just make the atmosphere brighter.  Look around the space and try to think of what you would change if it were your home.  Making patients and employees more comfortable will raise the spirits of anyone who enters.
• Take holidays into account.  Whether you’re looking to celebrate or not, decorating for the holiday season is a great way to break up what could otherwise become a dull and monotonous workplace.  Remember, holiday decorations don’t even have to be in recognition of any specific holiday.  If you want to keep your workplace as neutral as possible, stringing up some paper snowflakes and garland will give the space a wintery feel without mentioning any actual holiday.
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle in the office.  Instead of supplying  candy bars and other sugary snacks for quick boosts of energy, how about providing apples, bananas, and bags of nuts.  Instead of sugary soda in the fridge, keep a water cooler in the office to quench thirst.  These small steps will keep energy levels up and employees feeling better.

Any workplace will have some level of stress but it is in everyone’s best interest to keep the stress as minimal as possible.  If you have more stress reducing tips, let us know!