You’ve probably heard the term “quiet quitting” used recently online, in the news, or maybe even in the workplace. But what is it and what does it mean for you as a healthcare professional? Here’s everything you need to know about this trending term, from its definition, what it looks like in healthcare, and possible solutions.
If you ask both employers and employees what quiet quitting means, you might get different answers.
Quiet quitting has been described as employees intentionally doing the bare minimum of their job requirements and not being invested in their work or the company’s goals.
However, others disagree with this quiet quit meaning.
Zaid Khan, a 24-year-old engineer in New York, explained quiet quitting in his viral TikTok as, “quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You're no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life."
Another TikTok user, 41-year-old Clayton Farris, added his perspective: when he heard the term, he realized he had already been practicing “quiet quitting” simply by refusing to allow work stress to be front and center in his life.
"The most interesting part about it is nothing's changed," Farris said in a TikTok video. "I still work just as hard. I still get just as much accomplished. I just don't stress and internally rip myself to shreds."
So, while some view quiet quitting as a method to achieving work-life balance, others view it as a subtle alternative to actually resigning. Regardless, a Gallup poll found "quiet quitters" make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce, defining quiet quitters as anyone who is not engaged at work. They also recognize quiet quitting as a symptom of poor management.
Quiet quitting in a hospital setting looks a little different than it does in a corporate office, however. This isn’t a new concept in the healthcare industry either, in fact, this phenomenon has only grown within hospital settings in the past year.
"Before the term quiet quitting was in vogue, we were talking about employees who would 'quit and stay,'" said Jeremy Sadlier, executive director of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration. "No matter the term used, many disengaged employees will stick around long after they're finding motivation and stimulation in their work."
Gallup also found that within those that are disengaged at work, healthcare professionals saw the largest dip in engagement from 2020 to 2021. Additionally, another survey found 69% of physicians rated themselves as actively disengaged.
While these numbers are to be expected after the past couple years of battling COVID-19, it does raise concerns for what quiet quitting your job means in healthcare. If a healthcare worker became too disengaged at work, it could impact the quality of patient care, patient and workplace safety, and overall patient satisfaction.
“It is greatly concerning that, while the motivation may not be largely different than in other industries, the effects of quiet quitting in healthcare have a direct connection to patient care, quality and safety,” according to Sadlier.
While the effects may not always be that drastic, quiet quitting in healthcare does seem to pose a greater overall threat than it may pose in other industries.
If ineffective management is the cause and poor patient care is the effect, what is the solution to quiet quitting? It’s more important than ever for healthcare workers to find work-life balance amid high levels of healthcare burnout but finding a balance that still promotes safe engagement is crucial.
Sometimes re-engaging or finding a new reason to love your job requires a change of scenery. Here’s where healthcare travel enters the picture. As a healthcare traveler, not only do you get to shake up where you work, but you also get to control when and how often you work.
Want to only work during a certain part of the year? Plan your assignments during that time! Want to take two months off at a time? Go for it! Travel offers both higher pay and control of your career, allowing you to take more time off. That means when you’re on the clock, you’ll have the energy and motivation to be fully engaged.
Plus, healthcare travel assignments are typically only 13 weeks long. This means you'll constantly be working with new people with new perspectives. And if an assignment doesn't end up being your jam? No worries, you're done after 13 weeks and get to have a fresh start on your next assignment.
Healthcare travel also gives you the opportunity to grow your skill set and oversee your career trajectory. No more feeling bored or stunted in your staff position! It’s hard to check out when there are endless opportunities available to you on your terms.
If the idea of quiet quitting resonates with you as a healthcare worker, that might be a sign you’re ready to start a healthcare travel job. Check out the tens of thousands of travel jobs we have to offer, and find that loving your job again is just one click away.