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Learn MoreWe have all been there, delaying a task that needs to be completed by a certain deadline. A study from Nguyen, et. al (2013) found that for most of us, more than a quarter of our workday is taken up by forms of procrastination!
In the world of Medical Staff Services, this could mean not starting the reappointment application your provider signed the day you released it or waiting anxiously while members of your credentials committee complete their reviews the night before the meeting. In my previous role as an MSP, I would often delay processing files for a variety of reasons, but it almost always came down to prioritization, or so I told myself. On the flipside, while the credentials committee members were probably delaying completing their reviews for the same reason, it caused nothing but anxiety within our office. How one perceives procrastination is based on which side of the scenario you sit. According to Choi and Moran (2009) these examples would fall under active procrastination, which is defined as someone who decides to delay, preferring to work under the pressure of a deadline.
Did you know that anxiety and procrastination often appear together? Humans’ natural tendency is to put off things that make us anxious. Moving to a new platform on top of your regular duties as an MSP can cause anxiety in even the most seasoned professional. It is then natural to want to procrastinate and prioritize more familiar tasks, especially if the decision to change is out of our control.
Moving to a new credentialing software is no small undertaking. It is a complex project involving a myriad of tasks that takes many months or years of planning, training, data mapping and validation to smoothly transition. As a result, it can become easy to procrastinate throughout the process without realizing the larger ramifications. Ultimately, one must remember that time is a resource we cannot recover. When discussing procrastination with my colleague, Katie Fox, she pointed out that it is also important to remember the cascading effect procrastination can have between short-term and long-term goals. One way to avoid the dangers of procrastination during the implementation process is to clearly establish the impact that the timing of each short-term goal or activity can have on the larger, long-term goals and project timeline.
During a project we all know there are certain aspects and deadlines that are critical. However, what about those activities that seem minor? For example, we always recommend that clients “play around” within your new platform after training to help reinforce their learning. The scope of this activity can certainly seem like an overwhelming task. I know from experience! Learning the ins and outs of any new platform can be anxiety inducing, which can then result in looking for any reason to procrastinate. You tell yourself you can put off working in the system until your go-live date is closer, and instead focus on finishing up all those outstanding files. However, while initially this only seems like delaying a minor activity, the reality is you are also setting yourself up for potential failure in terms of your long-term goal for a smooth transition between platforms.
Ultimately, getting into your new platform wasn’t just one short-term goal you were procrastinating on, it was several. Getting into the platform allows you to better acclimate yourself with the new environment, increasing your overall knowledge and becoming more comfortable with how it functions. It also allows you to simultaneously validate your applications, workflows, letters, and data. As you can imagine with hundreds of providers to review and several potentially new processes to learn, this isn’t something that can be done in a day or even in a week; it takes time. That decision to procrastinate can now have serious ramifications. If things are not setup or working as expected at go-live or you don’t feel comfortable working in the new platform, what happens when you suddenly need to process those applications that were on hold during the change over? The last thing you want is to find out while processing an application is that your workflow is missing a step; your verifications are wrong; or your application didn’t collect all the information needed.
Are you currently in the middle of an implementation or project and this feels a little too close to home? Don’t worry! I have a few tips to help you overcome your procrastination.
Learning an entirely new platform is overwhelming and can leave you wondering where to even start. By breaking it down into smaller pieces you are giving yourself a specific task to focus on. An example of this could be reviewing your workflow, application or practicing completing an application from the provider’s perspective.
While there will be an overarching project plan, don’t be afraid to chart your own course! If there are certain areas of the platform that you know you will need more time to learn or that you will use more heavily, create your own plan tailored to your needs. While everyone learns differently, ultimately the more time you spend in the system, the more comfortable you will become.
Do this for everything, no matter how small. It can be something as simple as a reminder on your calendar. If that isn’t enough, include a colleague or someone else who you know will hold you accountable.
Humans tend to focus on what is going wrong over what is going right. We also tend to remember these negative situations better as well. It can be far too easy in the middle of a project to feel like nothing is going as planned. However, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate our wins. Did you finally get that letter to run as intended with its query? Celebrate that!
Whether or not you are looking to get a better handle on your short-term or long-term goals, or seeking the stamina needed to complete a hefty implementation, determining where you can reduce the natural tendency to procrastinate throughout the workday is a skill that will empower you and ultimately enable you to experience success in all that you do.
When you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceBe confident in your staff’s ability to reduce risk by providing compliance training that changes behavior.
View All ProductsDevelop next-level people for next-level care by prioritizing quality and safety improvements.
View All ProductsEstablish a culture of belonging with education supporting DEI, wellness, engagement, and leadership development.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and healthcare training solutions support medical training initiatives and allow for the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsUtilize patient access solutions and advanced reimbursement solutions to manage clinical denials and improve your organization’s reimbursement strategy.
View All ReimbursementComprehensive, industry-leading provider onboarding and credentialing software that validates health outcomes and supports provider assessment.
View All CredentialingOur affordable CVO credentialing services establish patient safety by enabling primary source verification for your healthcare organization.
View All ProductsIntegrate with Epic to validate and add new providers directly to your provider master file.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ProductsOur competency development solutions personalize learning for clinicians to bridge the gap between theory and practice for your nurse residents.
View All ProductsEnhance maternal & child nursing care with solutions focused on improving the quality of care for mothers, infants, and children.
View All ProductsAddress staffing orientation challenges to easily achieve and maintain certification with our emergency and acute care training solutions.
View All ProductsAs a premier provider of healthcare education, we are committed to promoting safer, more successful surgical and sedation outcomes for each and every patient.
View All ProductsOur solutions are designed to cater to the needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations dealing with illnesses or chronic conditions.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare workforce management is essential. We provide advanced scheduling solutions for organizations to solve issues such as nurse retention
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