The doctor’s lounge has become something of the past seeing as hospitals have become busier and medical staff management is becoming more separated. This is rather unfortunate seeing as the medical lounge was the place where medical staff could go to relax, catch a nap after a long shift, talk to each other, or even share snacks. Some medical practices and hospitals are looking to bring back these rooms, and this is a movement that we very much support.
Human beings need to be able to enjoy some downtime away from the rush of the day. This is even more true for medical staff. A doctor’s job is a stressful one. These professionals have to deal with life and death situations on a daily basis, not to mention that they are always aware that any mistakes they make have the potential to result in permanent repercussions. It isn’t possible to handle the weight of this stress on their shoulders all the time. Doctors need a place where they can escape from all of these situations, even for just a few minutes. This moment of respite will help the doctors and medical staff to be more prepared to take on the job, which will help to improve their overall performance.
If you’re looking to build a medical lounge in your medical office or hospital, you need to make sure that it contains everything that a doctor needs to take their mind off of work. In this article, we will discuss the six elements of what makes a great medical lounge. With that said, let’s get into it.
1. Make it comfortable and relaxing
You need to make sure your doctors feel comfortable in the lounge made for them to relax. Therefore, you can do so by making it feel like a leisure space. You can look to replicate the same effect that a cafe has, seeing as a coffee shop, like a medical lounge, focuses on creating an ideal atmosphere for relaxation and winding down. You can include a little coffee corner with a good coffee machine, some high-quality brews, and a little free snack bar for the doctors to enjoy. Doctors oftentimes don’t have the time to buy or prepare food for themselves, and it doesn’t cost much for the medical office to have healthy snacks prepared for them. This will remind them that you care about their health and happiness as well.
2. Use natural light
Natural light is crucial to creating a relaxing and open feel, which is essential to creating a laid-back environment. It’s important that you have plenty of windows in the lounge rooms; however, you need to install some blackout curtains in case the doctors want to take a nap in the room. Doctors don’t have a lot of time to go outside and enjoy nature, so it’s a good idea to bring the outdoors to them with some sunlight and a few potted plants. If you wish, you can build a small balcony for smoking as well.
3. Make it a space for learning
The lounge should promote a learning environment, so be sure to include a quiet learning corner with a reading desk and a bookshelf.
4. Talk to your team before building one
It’s always a good idea to talk to your medical staff before investing in building a lounge. This way, you can be sure that every one of your employees is catered to and everybody can relax equally. It’s also a great way to ask for ideas and ensure that your medical team has a say in the lounge that they will all enjoy. A lounge will help to bump up your retention rate, as the staff will feel that the executive team cares about them.
5. Ensure that it’s accessible to everybody
If the lounge is located in one little corner of the hospital, doctors may not want to walk from a medical ward on the other side of the hospital just go relax and grab a cup of coffee. It’s a better idea to put the lounge in a spot that is convenient for everyone.
6. Promote a social connection
You have to remember that doctors are people too. Sometimes it can be difficult to see them as anything but superhuman, but they actually need everything that other people need; food, water, shelter, and of course, healthy human interaction. The lounge is where doctors get together to socialize and connect with one another, which means that it’s a crucial place to build a good workplace dynamic. You need to account for this when you’re looking to build a medical lounge. Make sure you have enough space for each doctor to enjoy some private time if they wish. Include desks for individual work and a central table for when people want to work together. It’s important that you give them some space where they can have a meal, drink coffee, or just gather around and talk to one another.
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