Yes, the news is – the current regulations may last for a while and as the social-distancing and best-to-stay-at-home message is slowly but surely sinking in. If you’re like me, more time ‘not out in the world’, means more time to get my creative thinking going and put my mind to how to sustain our humanity, sanity, professional and financial viability.
We have put together a few tips on how you can best support your clients, your community, yourself and your business.
PERSONAL
Look after yourself, both physically and emotionally. For most of us this is in fact an opportunity for more of this.
1. Build your benevolence muscle! Foster a rescue animal. Check-in on your elderly neighbours, family members, new mums – maybe trade a roll of toilet paper for a cup of rice or the other way around LOL
2. Keep some structure in place and your brain active. Can you use this opportunity to catch up on all the things you’ve always wanted to do but never really had time to? E.g get stuck into some of the online training, webinars, podcasts, papers, books etc. that you’ve never managed to watch, listen to, read about…the enormous library of ‘Medscape Fast Fives’ alone should see you through til August!
3. Do the 30-minute COVID-19 infection control training for healthcare providers – stay informed and up to date.
4. ‘Follow a routine’- this may include exercise (if you used to go to a gym maybe go for a walk outside), get ‘dressed for work’ as if it was a casual day in the office… etc. My team and I have independently established that our work gets done a little slower and our minds get a little sloppier (!) when we are wearing UGGs or slippers …so beware!!!
5. Keep connected with your support networks. Social distancing does NOT equal social isolation. Just take it online if you can (thank you technology!)… Your weekly book club, fortnightly visits at your aunty’s aged care facility, religious meetings, etc. It can all still happen.
BUSINESS
Stay dynamic, creative, and open-minded. Our profession requires us to come up with individual treatment plans for each patient so thinking outside of the box and on the spot is nothing new to us…Yet, it can be challenging when the structure as we’ve known it for so long is becoming more dynamic. So, what can we do in amongst all this…?
1. Shift to 100% online or phone consultations and offer smaller acute care-type appointments to reduce the costs for clients who are currently not able to afford comprehensive consultations
2. Consider further reduced-prices for so many people who are currently facing financial uncertainty – offer this online letting people in your community know about the kind of support you CAN (and can’t offer)
3. Put a few extra safety measures in place if your business includes a dispensary: Get clients to pre-order and pay via phone so that they can pick up their order when it’s ready (they could even wait in the car if preferred). Let any “walk-ins” wait outside, better still encourage them to call and pay over the phone instead and pick up the order when it’s ready.
4. Or use patient ordering systems more often and stay right out of the handling for the time being. Lessen your capital risk etc
5. Buyer beware of ‘CORONA CAPITALISM’ which is already afoot. Remember post-bushfires when every possible business’ marketing message became suddenly fire-friendly?! Well, there are plenty of businesses already rubbing their hands together over this pandemic 🙁 so stay smart and discerning. Only buy what you truly need personally and what you really can be certain of selling, professionally, and don’t over-commit because the true financial fall-out will not be felt for some time to come 🙁
6. If you are still treating people in clinic, introduce extra safety measures such as phone screening them (OS travel, current URTI sx) before even allowing them to present in person, getting your clients to wash their hands before entering, keeping a safe distance, and clean all clinic surfaces thoroughly every night.
Feel free to post any further tips and tricks on our RAN Facebook page, stay safe, learn lots and above all – stay connected!!!
Rachel will be running a FREE 1-hour live Q &A to answer questions about the first 3 episodes that have been released in 2020 (see the list below). Here is your opportunity to debrief and ask any questions you may have after you’ve listened to Rachel’s pearls of wisdom on these episodes. This is a special bonus for our CURRENT PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS only. SAVE THE DATE AND GET YOUR UU30 SUBSCRIPTION NOW. The live Zoom session will start at 6pm (Syd time) on the 2nd April. You will be invited to pre-submit questions and Rachel will do her very best to answer the ones that are the most common and/or offer the best-extended learning for everyone and, as many as possible. Here are the three episodes you can submit questions on. Please note the March episode – Outrunning ‘Athlete’s’ Anaemia – will be released early on 24 March so you can listen before the live session.