Do you walk through the practice door with a spring in your step at the start of every shift? How often do you go home feeling proud and content? Most of us would want to be consistently uplifted by our work, so why don’t we make it happen?

Maybe practice life is just too busy, and it seems unrealistic to aim for more than getting through the day. Actually, people who are fulfilled by their work are more productive and efficient – and consistently deliver high-quality care, according to the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

The IHI is a US not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve the lives of patients, the health of communities and the joy of the health care workforce around the world based on improvement science. Its research shows it’s not frivolous to feel good at work. Even under challenging circumstances, energy, satisfaction and quality of care levels rise when teams focus on feeling more joyful¹.

Unfortunately, if we are regularly dispirited at work, many of us consider changing workplace – not changing our workplace, ourselves. And yet that’s what can set us on the path to greater motivation and even better patient outcomes.

The IHI has produced a “Joy in Work” framework informed by the experiences of numerous health care settings in the US and beyond². This scientific approach to preventing burnout involves a series of simple steps that teams follow to find out what their colleagues value, find frustrating and how they can create solutions to problems together. This, in turn, strengthens camaraderie, brightens our days and improves care whatever your role. The beauty of it is, improving how you feel can start with you.

How do I put joy on my to-do list?

IHI has identified nine components that lead to happy, healthy, productive people at work. Senior leaders need to shoulder the responsibility for some of these, such as recognition and rewards, creating roles with meaning and autonomy, and physical and psychological safety. You can read more about psychological safety in the third article in this series (VT53.05).

Managers need to promote teamwork, wellness and resilience, and daily improvement, and embrace shared decision-making. But team members can help lift one another’s spirits in many ways. We can communicate openly and respectfully, show care and compassion for one another, thank our colleagues for their work and get to know the whole person. This results in stronger bonds, trust and – ultimately – greater productivity. See article five in this series on the power of teamwork (VT53.24).

Furthermore, all of us can help nurture wellness and resilience – in ourselves and our colleagues. Crucially, we can all set out to learn from setbacks and successes, spot and speak up about opportunities for improvements, and help create solutions. There is a lot of food for thought here, but RCVS Knowledge has created easy-to-use resources that guide veterinary teams through the process of increasing joy at work, based on the IHI’s framework.

But what can I do to improve how we work?

The Joy in Work framework and the Quality Improvement (QI) approach share many principles: strong and transparent communication, a constructive approach to problems, whole-team involvement, sustained commitment and more^3-7. Unsurprisingly, therefore, teams often come up with QI tools and activities to improve aspects of their work lives – from stock monitoring and storage protocols, through to diary and surgical list management, to communication with clients and colleagues; especially regarding purchase and repair of equipment.

The good news is, any team member can use QI to help make things better. For example, the RCVS Knowledge Awards have recognised vets for introducing clinical governance meetings, root cause analysis of significant events, structured resources to reduce antibiotic usage and other initiatives.

RVNs have been acknowledged for establishing audits, guidelines and benchmarking that have led to improvements in anaesthesia, postoperative care and nutrition, to name a few areas. Practice directors have won Knowledge Awards for setting up well-being meetings and checklists, among other activities⁸.

Receptionists are running audits and leading QI in their practice⁹ while administrators are facilitating Joy in Work activity¹⁰. Locums bring fresh eyes and ideas about ways of working11, and those early on in their careers can quickly see when things aren’t quite right^12,13.

But what about colleagues who are reluctant to take part? Firstly, check why they feel this way. Try not to dismiss any past unsatisfactory episodes, and do reassure them of psychological safety – previous experiences of feeling ignored or intimidated can crush belief in change. Perhaps you could show them case studies of the framework’s effectiveness from health care settings similar to yours.

You could prioritise tackling one of their bugbears (see part two in this series on how the little things can have a big impact on well-being and care; VT52.11) or organise an after-hours activity you know they would enjoy. Maybe you could tweak the language used, or provide alternative ways to participate to cater for all personalities¹⁴. Take heart, however, from the fact that it only takes 25% to 30% of a group to bring the rest round to their view¹⁵.

Making change gives us a boost, and mood is infectious, so if you are keen to feel and work better, take a look at the RCVS Knowledge What Matters to You resources. There is something everyone can do.