MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A survey by Harvard found more than half of healthcare workers are stressed, overworked, and ready to leave.
So a Memphis-area business decided it wanted to help ease that stress. They headed to Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett to help workers get some hands-on relaxation.
"Today what we done is we've partnered with Massages on the Go and Stretch Lab and they're here giving massages to help relax some of our patient care providers,” said Christopher Jenkins, C.O.O., St. Francis Hospital Bartlett.
"We are here to help promote health and wellness and give back to the nurses and the doctors and the staff here. Because we want to help take care of the people that take care of us,” said Jason McAlister, Owner of Stretch Lab and Cycle Bar.
"They're working with people to show them the importance of stretching and all things they can do to really take care of themselves. So, they can help take care of the community and the patient that are here,” said Jenkins.
"These people have been working their tails off. But they really have the last few years and I assume that they're not taking care of themselves the same way that they should be. So, if we can help them. If we can be a part of that and a part of their routine in the, our way of giving back to them. Then that makes our job that much better,” said McAlister.
"Our employees are our most important resource. We've got to take care of them,” said Jenkins. “There's been a national shortage of healthcare providers in the last three to four years, ever since the pandemic, and not the same amount of people are going into healthcare as they used to. So, it's really important that we recruit the right people and we retain them. And little things like this, while it's just a blip on the radar, it is really important. Because it shows, one, we care and, two, we care about them and their health."
"Healthcare providers, whether we realize it or not, most of them, I'd say 99% of them are probably encountering somebody on one of their worst day of their life. So, it's important that we allow them to relax, decompress, take some of that fatigue off their shoulders. So, that they can go back to the bedside. They can talk to those family members. They can talk to the patients and then they are their best selves. Their most compassionate self and that's why this is so important to us,” said Jenkins.
The owner of Stretch Lab Lakeland and Cycle Bar Memphis is giving discounts to nurses, students, and first responders.