Dr. Nilesh R. Parmar is the founder of NP Consulting, providing consulting and marketing services to the dental and healthcare industry.
Burnout among healthcare workers is a growing concern, particularly as the sector continues to be stretched by chronic underfunding and increased demand for services.
The World Health Organization’s defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as a resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It is characterized by three dimensions: energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from ones job, and reduced professional efficacy.
Clearly, in a life or death setting such as healthcare, these can have catastrophic repercussions. The issue became so serious the U.K. House of Commons Health and social committee issued a report on tackling burnout in the NHS.
The NHS staff surveyed suggested that nearly 1 in 4 reported high levels of burnout, with 1 in 5 experiencing a major depressive episode. Several factors may contribute to burnout among NHS workers: long work hours, feeling overwhelmed by the workload and expectations, lack of control over their job, lack of job security, fear of violence or harassment, and feeling unsupported by management or colleagues.
According to the NHS report, post Covid-19 healthcare has experienced an exponential increase in workforce pressures of 92%. With not only individual members of staff but entire groups feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Healthcare was oversubscribed prior to Covid-19 and the effect of it has been crippling.
In stark comparison to other industries where “well-being” has taken a front seat in CEO’s agendas for their workforce. Large companies often provide regular breaks for their employees during the day in order to decompress. Counselling is usually included in the business plan with paid leave available for those feeling over-worked or run down.
Compare that to healthcare where leave is on an approval-only basis with no spare capacity or wellness time for individual doctors/nurses. With some seeing death regularly and having little or no time to decompress or share their experiences with a trained professional. The entire healthcare system may be good at looking after its patients, but I believe it is failing the doctors and nurses miserably.
Staff retention is key in any high skill industry. Healthcare is now facing a crisis in recruitment and retention. Many nurses are pursuing alternative careers, learning they can have a much better quality of life and similar incomes by working in lower skilled jobs with less pressure and better working conditions.
Some strategies may help reduce or prevent burnout in healthcare workers. As a healthcare leader, consider using these strategies:
• Promote work-life balance.
• Provide supportive management.
• Encourage regular breaks and flexible working hours.
• Foster a safe work environment.
• Address any underlying workplace difficulties.
• Ensure that healthcare workers have access to support services.
This would only be possible by increasing the available workforce and dramatically improving working conditions along with salaries. Healthcare must be seen as the top line industry and only then will it attract the greatest minds who will excel in a high-pressure environment.
Examples from the private sector are a clear indication as to how a workforce’s well-being is key in their performance and retention. Without it the healthcare system we need will slowly crumble.
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