"the service mission of people caring for people in times of their greatest vulnerability and need. This is the mission of the health care workforce—the mission from which its members derive their meaning as well as their experience of joy"

Lucian Leape Institute
Report of the Roundtable on
Joy and Meaning in Work and Workforce Safety

Why work in healthcare?

Most people enter the healthcare profession because they want to play a role in helping others....a calling.  Many professions within the industry require advanced training, the hours are long, the emotional toll is high. But the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives - that's why we chose this career path.

But the level of burnout amongst the healthcare workforce is at an all time high.  People are leaving the profession, mental distress is rampant, and...the industry focussing on improve health and alleviating suffering has the highest industry rate of illness or disability.

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Does it matter?

Does a burned out workforce have implications? Yes!

Studies demonstrate that healthcare worker burnout leads to:

• Increased patient safety incidents
• Worse patient safety satisfaction and outcomes
• Increased cost
• Failed change initiatives

Can we do anything about it?

Fortunately the answer is yes...and we must.  Focussing on the wellbeing of the healthcare workforce not only will improve worker-centric metrics and patient outcomes, but will decrease costs that will allow for the increased investments required to continually improve healthcare and health.  Whether you call it Joy in Work or the Quadruple Aim...the time to act is now!

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has a plethora of resources and tools to support organizations in pursuing joy in work. One of those resources is the IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work.  This document provides practical ideas organizations and its leaders can take to begin and propel its Joy in Work journey.

Of the Four Steps recommended in the Framework the"Use improvement science to test approaches" speaks to role quality  improvement methods play in the planning, iteratively testing and successfully implementing interventions that sustainably make a difference in the wellness of the workforce. 

But how you apply QI and what interventions you select will make a difference in whether the proposed changes will improve Joy in Work or merely increase workplace burden.  Click on the text on the left to learn more about QI leading to improvement in work and how to avoid QI leading to increased burden

Perla et al. IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work. IHI White Paper. Cambridge, MA. IHI 2017.