Unfortunately, it is common for PAs and NPs to feel a lack of respect in the workplace which can trigger a cascade of anger, frustration, resentment, and eventually lead to complete burn out.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with 1000s of PAs and NPs along their professional journeys. I’ve seen how those who feel respected in the workplace display different patterns of behaviors than those who do not. I will share 5 patterns of actions that can be helpful to those feeling frustrated, unheard, and overall angry towards their employer.
1. How often do you say simple pleasantries like “Good morning” or “Thank You”? Do you offer harmless and appropriate compliments to your staff members and employer? If you are not saying these things on a daily basis you might want to start. One of the fastest ways to gain respect and receive a “thank you” is to start dishing out plenty of “thank you”s and compliments in the direction of others. Remember the old sayings, “give first and you too shall receive” and “treat others the way you want to be treated.” If you have a small enough staff, you can even go as far as to pick up coffee for everyone or bring in cookies for the breakroom occasionally.
2. Do you have an interest and basic understanding of the goals of your staff and supervisor? This could be professional goals (an MA who wants to apply to PA school, a physician owner who wants to add a new satellite location or hire a new provider, etc) or personal goals (a staff or boss who recently got engaged, moved, had a baby, or is planning a vacation). Showing interest in other peoples’ lives and asking them about their goals allows you to be are more than just a replaceable employee; you become someone with empathy, understanding, support, and joy, and ultimately a team member.
3. Are you helping to solve problems for other people on a weekly basis? How often do you ask a staff member, employer, or manager if you can help them in any way? If you have never done this before, they might look at you funny, but once they realize that you have sincere intentions, they will often return the favor back to you. If a medical facility is to operate as a polished team, it is critical that each player on the team is not only great at their own job but also great at stepping in and helping others.
4. Are you sensitive to the business needs of your facility? This is a big one. Do you understand the cash flow? Can you anticipate when cash is tight based on clues, even without seeing any financial statements? If the business is struggling financially, the owners and management will be distracted and under a lot of stress. This is not a good time to negotiate salary or contract or ask for any changes to your schedule or request more staff support. If your facility is constantly cash strapped, you might want to consider a change because the owners will be under constant stress and may not have time or energy to give to you--even if you are doing an amazing job. Recognize when the facility doesn’t have money and when it isn’t a good fit for you.
5. Are you going above and beyond to deliver more value to your employer than they expected when they hired you? This can be as simple as a consistently positive attitude, or something much more robust like stepping into a leadership role or being a super high-volume producer. Every employer has different values and priorities, so it is important to gauge what your employer will appreciate and deliver that to them. It can take some investigative sleuthing, but if you can figure out what makes your employer tick and over deliver to them, you will surely earn a very high level of respect in the workplace.
It is true that respect is a two-way street, but at the end of the day, it is most important that you respect yourself. If you are demonstrating respect and engagement, seeking to accomplish and further practice goals, and offering more value than expected, but disrespect and distrust are evident and escalating over time, it might be time to seek a different place where your goals are more aligned with the facility’s goals. Ideally you want to see signs of mutual respect displayed from day one.
Kasey D’Amato, MPAP, PA-C is a Dermatology PA, Entrepreneur, and Career Coach for PAs. Kasey is President of Certified PA Consulting and coaches PAs on how find clinical or non-clinical career success and fulfillment. When not in clinic or helping other PAs, Kasey enjoys spending time on the beach, golf course, or boat in her Maine and Florida homes with her husband and bulldog or traveling the globe looking for new and exciting adventures.www.certifiedpaconsulting.com
