Last updated on Mar 17, 2024

What do you do if your healthcare team is experiencing burnout?

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic stress at work. It can affect anyone, but healthcare workers are especially vulnerable due to the high demands, emotional intensity, and ethical dilemmas of their profession. Burnout can have serious consequences for the quality of care, patient safety, staff retention, and personal well-being. If you are a healthcare manager, you need to take action to prevent and address burnout in your team. Here are some strategies that can help.

1 Recognize the signs

Identifying burnout is the first step to dealing with it. Healthcare workers may experience common signs of burnout such as feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or cynical about work; losing interest or motivation in work or personal goals; having difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things; and experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, or fatigue. Additionally, they may feel detached, isolated, or irritable with colleagues, patients, or family and develop negative attitudes or behaviors such as cynicism, apathy, or substance abuse. If any of these signs are present in yourself or your team members, it is important to take them seriously and seek help.

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Meryt Hanna

Bringing hope to our healthcare community | Empowering all with trust to co-create yielding "ripple effect" benefits | Turning setbacks into opportunities | Serving unmet needs | Patients/HCPs advocate | MD, MPH
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Burn-out prevention is key. Building trust, safety to explore ideas & incorporate personal insights into the narrative will happen when the individuals on the team are accepted, appreciated, respected & allowed to learn & grow. So their psychological well being in their professional culture space is vital *Listen with empathy *Evaluate causes Talk often Be kind *Encourage-empower *Maximizing on their best abilities is key so their performance will be enhanced by doing more of what they can do best;thus creating a culture of growth, curiosity & innovation *Allowing each individual to share personal experiences through different channels will build trust into the relationships, to share, uplift, acknowledge, support the team to avoid fatigue

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2 Provide support and resources

As a healthcare manager, you can help prevent burnout in your team by providing regular feedback, recognition, and appreciation for their work. Encourage them to share their concerns, challenges, and successes with you and each other. Offer them opportunities for learning, development, and career advancement. Make sure they have the necessary equipment, supplies, and staff to perform their tasks. Create a culture of safety, trust, and collaboration among team members. If needed, refer them to professional counseling, coaching, or wellness programs.

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3 Promote work-life balance

As a healthcare manager, it's important to promote work-life balance for your team to help prevent burnout. You should respect their preferences and needs for scheduling and workload, allowing them to take breaks, vacations, and sick days without guilt or pressure. Additionally, you can support their efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough. Encourage them to pursue hobbies, interests, and passions outside of work and recognize and celebrate their achievements and milestones in both work and personal life. All of these steps will help create a better balance between work and personal life.

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Dr Ayesha I. Bukhari

Deputy Medical Superintendent @SPH | Leadership & Strategic Healthcare Executive FRSPH(UK), mACHE (USA)
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In a hospital setting, to promote work-life balance and reduce burnout, I implemented a rotating shift system that ensured equitable distribution of high-stress shifts among team members. We also introduced a "quiet room" for staff to take short, restorative breaks during shifts. To support mental health, we arranged regular debriefing sessions with a psychologist for team members to discuss stresses confidentially. These steps helped mitigate burnout and maintained high levels of patient care while supporting staff well-being.

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4 Foster a sense of meaning and purpose

As a healthcare manager, you can protect against burnout by fostering a sense of meaning and purpose for your team. Remind them of the vision, mission, and values of your organization and how their work contributes to them. Invite them to participate in decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation processes. Highlight the positive impact and outcomes of their work on patients, families, and communities. Give them opportunities to express their values, beliefs, and opinions. Encourage them to reflect on their personal and professional goals and aspirations. Burnout is a serious issue that can affect the health and performance of your healthcare team. By taking these steps, you can help your team prevent and overcome burnout while enhancing their well-being and satisfaction.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if your healthcare team is experiencing burnout?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Recognize the signs

2 Provide support and resources

3 Promote work-life balance

4 Foster a sense of meaning and purpose

5 Here’s what else to consider

Healthcare Management

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What do you do if your healthcare team is experiencing burnout?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Recognize the signs

2 Provide support and resources

3 Promote work-life balance

4 Foster a sense of meaning and purpose

5 Here’s what else to consider

Healthcare Management

Rate this article

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