How passionate are you about your job?

A good morale is often the key to creating a good work environment.  The higher the morale of  each respiratory therapist the greater the customer service they provide.  Hence, the happier the RT the happier the customer will be.

One study suggests that worker morale is directly related to worker satisfaction.  Hence, study researchers might ask you which of the following describes your mood about your job.  Are you:

1. Passionate about your work?
2. Satisfied with your work? 
3. Engaged in your work?
4. Apathetic about your work?
5. Numb about your work?

Based on responses, studies showed the following:

1. 10-29% are passionate about their work; they are completely engaged
2. 60-80% are satisfied with their work but not engaged
3. 10-20% are disengaged; they just work to get a pay check

Disengaged workers feel there is no hope no matter what they do, so they just do what they are asked to do and that's it.  Disengaged workers tend to be apathetic, such as is the case with respiratory therapy apathy syndrome. 

To keep workers engaged, it's best to involve each member of the department in tasks.  Yes, that means that  you might be asked to do a certain task, such as teaching oxygen therapy to nurses, or becoming a Basic Life Support educator, or making a presentation at your local respiratory therapy conference. 

You also may be asked to write a protocol or hospital policy, or anything that keeps you engaged.  The catch here is that the RT Bosses must show that they are equally enthused about what you are working on, and work hard to both support and implement your ideas.  Without support, such efforts will simply result in continued apathy.

Another technique is to have you write a blog such as the RT Cave.  Surely you may have no control over your work, yet you will have control over your own projects. Knowing your work will provide you with ideas for your writing will give you an incentive to get up and go to work, and to smile while you're doing it.

The catch here, however, is you'll have to be careful what you write as to not compromise your contract with the institution you work for, and your promise to maintain patient confidentiality.  So you'll have to get creative, which is a good treatment for apathy.

The more you do, the more involved you are, the more you accomplish and feel respected, the greater your morale will be.  This has a direct impact on your satisfaction, and the happier you are the happier your customers (patients) will be. 

Another way to improve your satisfaction is for your boss to ensure you have the best benefit package possible, make sure you get an annual raise for inflation plus bonuses if possible, and to involve you in departmental decision making, and to heed your opinion.

It also helps to get praise.  It also helps to be listened to.  It also helps when you are respected when you make a recommendation.  It also helps when you have automony to use your experience and education to do what's best for the patient.

Yet doing all these things isn't always possible.  RT bosses get busy, and they get a lot of pressure from their bosses to mak your RT Cave look good on paper.  The end result is you may not get the results you want, and you become apathetic and disengaged.

So, how passionate are you about your job?

(see natural progression of satisfaction)
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