Doctors are hard-working professionals, and they might not often get the chance to mingle with their coworkers. But mixing with different people in their team can make them much more effective in their roles. When doctors feel supported and understood by the other members of the team around them, they will be able to deliver the best possible support for their patients.
But how do you cultivate a sense of camaraderie in a busy healthcare environment when there is little time for fun activities? Team building efforts are the ideal way to break down barriers and encourage cross departmental collaboration. The key is to find an activity that offers multiple benefits, not just improved team cohesion.
Improve fitness with a cycling challenge
Finding the time to keep fit while working long hours can be a challenge. This is why a cycling challenge can be so welcome in the workplace. There are many ways you can set this up, from starting a weekend cycling club to entering your team into a distance cycling challenge. This could encourage more of your doctors to cycle to work, which can help them to combine their commute with a cardio workout, allowing them to achieve their fitness goals without sacrificing extra time.
Learn new skills with a skillshare
Your team will have diverse skills and a wealth of knowledge to share, both with other clinical staff and with support staff. Implementing a skillshare programme in your workplace will allow everyone to deepen their understanding of things they have recently learned by teaching it to others. This collaborative approach can also help junior members of staff to quickly upgrade their skills. Everyone can take it turns to teach and to learn, allowing everyone to contribute something valuable to the team.
Food-based workshops
Food is a great way to bring people together and to encourage conversation. Finding the time to eat in a healthcare setting can be a challenge, but planning a food-based workshop can be a great way to push back against the culture of snacking while standing up and eating alone at desks. You could plan a sushi-making workshop, cookie decorating class, or organise a pot-luck lunch. With a pot luck lunch, everyone brings one dish and then everyone can enjoy a buffet of delicious home-cooked food.
Collaborative artwork
Working together to create large-scale artwork for the workplace is a great way to encourage teamwork through creativity. There is a common myth that healthcare workers are analytical and therefore not creative, but this team building activity helps to smash this perception. Teams can work together to create a part of the artwork before it is all brought together at the end.
Staggered happy hour
Even doctors like to wind down every now and then. But with everyone working different shifts, it can be difficult to get everyone together at the same time. To counter this, try introducing a staggered happy hour that takes place at the end of each shift. Workers can get together to share stories about the challenges they have faced. Offer soft drinks, hot beverages and snacks to encourage doctors to take a moment to socialise with their coworkers at the end of their shift.
Scavenger hunt
The perks of running a scavenger hunt in a healthcare setting is that it can include clinical skills workshops within the game. You could also make it a part of the game to diagnose conditions based on a list of symptoms that the teams have to find. This is a great way to make a classic team building exercise into something that will be fun and engaging for healthcare professionals.
Final thoughts
Doctors might be busy professionals, but there are still plenty of ways to introduce fun elements of socialisation into their everyday routine. Icebreakers will help to build familiarity and trust between doctors and their support staff. In turn, this will help them to approach their work in a different way. Instead of feeling like they are alone in their role, they will feel the support of those around them, since they will have taken the time to get to know their skills and strengths. This can help to build a stronger healthcare team that will place patient wellbeing above anything else.
