Healthcare worker burnout is caused by prolonged stress encountered by workers in the healthcare field. This stress is often caused by a chaotic or stressful work environment, long hours with little sleep, and traumatic situations with patients. Covid-19 exacerbated the burnout issue, seeing medical employees leaving or planning to leave the profession in record numbers. While worker burnout can be hard to spot, there are many signs to look for among your employees
Employers should look for these signs in their healthcare employees and act to alleviate the burnout before it’s too late.
Not only is burnout detrimental for employees and productivity, but it is also harmful to the healthcare industry. Healthcare worker burnout causes staff shortages and causes cogs to form in the healthcare system. This can lead to poor patient care, extended wait times for patients, poor productivity, and extra stress for employees who have remained in the medical field.
While the medical field is always going to pose some stress to employees, interventions can be put into place to prevent healthcare worker burnout. These interventions work to alleviate work stress among employees and increase morale. These interventions include:
As demand for healthcare workers increases yearly, we must remember to take care of our employees and protect them from worker burnout. With these small steps, we can encourage a positive and productive work environment within the medical field.
