{"id":19365339,"date":"2022-12-05T21:18:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T02:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bioniklabs.com\/?p=19365339"},"modified":"2022-12-16T16:57:57","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T21:57:57","slug":"burnout-in-healthcare-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bioniklabs.com\/burnout-in-healthcare-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Burnout in Healthcare Workers. What is it? Signs, Prevention and Resources."},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Larger Wave of Burnout<\/span><\/h2>\n

Are you or someone you know suffering from burnout in practice due to job stress? Burnout isn\u2019t new- it\u2019s been around and studied for years. Before the pandemic in 2019, the National <\/span>Academies of Medicine (NAM)<\/span><\/a> 1<\/sup> declared that burnout had \u201creached crisis levels\u201d. Increased demand on healthcare workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust an even larger wave of burnout onto the healthcare community including the occupational and physical therapy professions. It is important for both employees and employers to recognize the signs of burnout to help prevent unnecessary strain on employees and prevent workforce losses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stress and Burnout? What’s the Difference?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sometimes when under increasing amounts of stress, it may be difficult for an individual to identify burnout. Stress involves the feeling of too much pressure\/demand where burnout is the feeling of being \u2018<\/span>empty\u2019 and mentally exhausted<\/span><\/a> 6<\/sup>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Impact of Burnout on Healthcare<\/h2>\n

A recent surgeon general advisory projected a future<\/span><\/span> loss of 140,000 physicians by 2033.<\/span><\/span> <\/span>1<\/sup><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Signs of Burnout in Healthcare Workers<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

A<\/span> 5-stage model, referenced in this <\/span>\u00a02020 article<\/span><\/a>\u00a05<\/sup>, is typically used to represent the stages of burnout. Early-stage warning signs for burnout include anxiety, inability to focus and irritability. Later-stage symptoms include pessimism and behavior changes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prominent models for the cause and development of burnout include the Job Demand-Control Model, the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model, and the Organizational Injustice Model. 5<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Job Demand-Control Model <\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Looks at the balance between demand (job strain) and control (control over daily tasks and activities). 5<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Effort-Reward Imbalance Model<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

F<\/span>ounded in 1996, this model identifies an employment-threatening combination of high workload and low control over reward. This model focuses on maintaining the balance between effort and reward. 5<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organization Injustice Model<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Focuses on how employees view the behavior of their employers. 5<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ways to Prevent Burnout<\/span> 6<\/sup> 7<\/sup><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Get support<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Find support from friends, family, and coworkers. If your company offers an employee assistance program these can often provide support. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Try mindfulness <\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Mindulness meditation can be practiced during breaks. You can find mindfulness resources for healthcare providers on <\/span>Mindful.org<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Try relaxation techniques<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/b>P<\/span>rogressive muscle relaxation,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>meditation, yoga<\/span><\/span><\/span>, deep breathing techniques and more<\/span><\/span><\/span>!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Take breaks<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Take regular breaks at work.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Evaluate options at work<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Be vocal at work and look at solutions with a supervisor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Reduce exposure to stress and negative people<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

N<\/span><\/span><\/span>egative people <\/span><\/span><\/span>may make your mood worse.<\/span><\/span><\/span> Read more about prevention <\/span><\/span><\/span>here<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

7. Socialize<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

G<\/span>et together with friends and family for support.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Get some sleep<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/b>Make sure to get a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

**For a list of medit<\/span><\/span><\/span>ation apps and<\/span><\/span><\/span> relaxation techniques for OT practice, check out<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques in OT Practice<\/a>.**<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Personalities and Populations at Risk<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Certain professions, such as the helping professions, are at higher risk for burnout. Also, people with <\/span>personality traits 6<\/sup><\/span><\/a> such as perfectionism and having \u2018type A\u2019 personalites may be at a higher risk for burnout. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are experiencing symptoms of burnout or recognize it in a friend or coworker, it is important to address it right away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Potential Causes of Burnout<\/h2>\n

What factors contribute to burnout? The graphic below outlines common situations that may play a role.<\/p>\n

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Burnout in Occupational Therapy<\/h2>\n

One in two<\/span><\/b><\/a> 17<\/sup> occupational therapists experiences burnout.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The meta-analysis of burnout in OT referenced in the image below is limited to a selection of organizational and psychological factors (You can read the full review <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>).<\/span> 18<\/sup> Some factors seem obvious, but others you may find surprising; such as part-time work’s association with burnout. This could be due to organizational or other factors. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Insight From the Meta-Analysis<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Meta-analysis above provides insight into some areas that healthcare organizations may need to examine more closely within their organizations to better support their employees.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, personal factors such as age and marital status (unmarried) positively correlate with burnout in the analysis; but age and education had a negative correlation 18<\/sup>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This idicates that younger, less experienced therapists are experiencing more burnout, which is detrimental to the growth of the profession. Perhaps managers aren\u2019t providing these new therapists with the support and professional mentoring that they need to succeed in the field.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources For Healthcare Professionals<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Plenty of online resources are available for healthcare professionals experiencing burnout. Here’s a list of resources divided by profession. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Occupational Therapists\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

AOTA has come out with a great resource for coping with stress. AOTA’s 8<\/sup><\/a> resource page includes links to meditation and mindfulness techniques,<\/span>\u00a0along with advice for preventing burnout. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Physicians and Nurses<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The AMA website provides useful resources for physicians, including mental health resources. It also provides educational modules and information on practice transformation that health system leaders can reference to help prevent burnout in their organizations. The <\/span>AMA Steps Forward\u00ae<\/span><\/a> 9<\/sup> program consists of modules designed for health systems leadership and includes a module on burnout and well-being.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n