Healthcare staffing issues are fairly acute and are likely to remain a priority for healthcare leaders for the foreseeable future, making it essential to deal with any barriers to full staff engagement, retention, and satisfaction. Staff burnout is potentially one of the biggest challenges faced by leaders trying to manage the healthcare staffing crisis. A recent HealthStream webinar addressed the complexities of burnout and offered strategies to successfully combat it.
The webinar was moderated by HealthStream’s Dan Pawlus and featured presenters Susan Tournie, Vice President, Psych Hub and Andrea Zalewski, Clinical Program Manager, HealthStream.
Burnout – Is It Even More Common Than You Think?
Tournie began by defining the scope of the problem and acknowledging that burnout is a natural result of the pressures and expectations of being a healthcare worker today. The pandemic further complicated the issue, compounded the stress, and heightened expectations placed on healthcare workers.
“The statistics are really staggering,” said Tournie. Fifty percent of all mental health professionals report experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout. Seventy-six percent of healthcare workers report exhaustion and burnout and 69% of those reporting burnout report that they do not feel valued. Tournie went on to say that the escaping burnout in healthcare was becoming increasingly difficult.
The Four Key Pillars of Well-Being
Personal and professional challenges impact the way in which we care for ourselves and others and can result in caregivers neglecting their own well-being. Recognizing the pillars of well-being can be the first step in reducing burnout. Tournie stressed that these pillars are not about creating additional items for a to-do list which will only add to burnout. The four key pillars are:
- Awareness: Tournie defined this pillar as being fully aware of what you are doing, whom you are with, and of your feelings, thoughts and emotions. She shared that distractions such as phone, emails and social media are frequent barriers to full awareness.
- Connection: This pillar is defined as kinship that promotes supportive relationships and caring interactions. Tournie also urged healthcare professionals to embrace positive gratitude and appreciation practices to enhance feelings of connection.
- Insight: This pillar focuses on self-knowledge and an understanding of the emotions, thoughts, beliefs and other factors that shape our experiences.
- Purpose: Defined as having a sense of clarity about the values that guide your daily life, this pillar supports alignment between your life and the things that give your life meaning.
What Does Burnout Look Like?
Healthcare workers describe burnout in a number of ways, but there are some common themes. Emotional exhaustion is often an indicator of burnout. Feeling emotionally drained and lacking in the emotional resources required for the job is often a sign of burnout. Tournie also shared that depersonalization or a negative or detached response to others may be another symptom. These feelings are often accompanied by a low a poor evaluation of one’s own performance, competence and accomplishments.
Tournie urged leaders to be aware of what burnout looks like as that awareness is the first step in addressing burnout and restoring well-being.
Reframing Burnout – The First Steps
Typically, burnout blames the individual rather than the situation that has created burnout. Tournie encouraged leaders to reframe burnout by putting the blame where it belongs – on the situations that cause burnout and not on the individual. “Improving our well-being is unlikely to happen if we continue to blame ourselves,” said Tournie.
In addition, she suggested healthcare leaders consider these key strategies:
- Be present: Be mindful of your own feelings and those of others. Ask yourself and others about how they are doing and really engage beyond the polite banter stage.
- Be connected: Tournie reminded us that we are not alone on this journey. Everyone has suffered, made mistakes, and experienced tragedies that will impact how we respond to different situations. Tournie urged leaders to evaluate their culture, identify the support that is needed, and then build the community that will help connect employees.
- Be loving: Being more loving towards ourselves is perhaps one of the most challenging strategies to implement, but Tournie urged leaders to begin treating themselves in the same kind of compassionate ways in which they would treat a suffering friend or colleague.
Creating Better Systems
Tournie recommended that leaders prepare foundational systems that will facilitate a better response to burnout. Advocating for employees is an important step and it is best done proactively. Talking to staff about what is troubling them before they become burnt out can mean less burn out overall. Take time to be sure that you can recognize stress in your team and that they can do the same for you. Next, it is important to be open and honest about challenges. Acknowledging that everyone has their struggles is an important first step in being honest with each other. Thirdly, Tournie recommends that leaders create the kind of environment where everyone’s needs are acknowledged and valued.
