4 Smart Ways Healthcare Workers Can Avoid Burnout

Occupational burnout is a very real issue in today’s healthcare climate. A 2013 CareerBuilder survey on burnout in healthcare found that 60 percent of the more than 500 survey respondents said they feel burned out, and 21 percent said they often or always feel burned out. Fortunately, those healthcare workers who are managing to avoid or effectively treat burnout when it crops up are sharing their tips and advice on how to deal with this common issue. Here are 4 critical things they recommend:

1. Identify your ideal work schedule – and go get it.

In a recent post on healthcare blog KevinMD.com, the University of Southern California’s Dr. Roozerha Khan said she reversed her burnout by figuring out exactly what type of schedule she wanted to work, and then asked her employers for it. This move paid off for Dr. Khan when her employers gave her the schedule she craved–fifteen 12-hour shifts a month, with seven days on and seven days off.

2. Figure out what’s stressing you out – and change it.

A recent Daily Nurse article suggests that pinpointing the exact source of a stressor is a good first step in reducing the stress that leads to burnout. They go on to suggest that you should take time away from your stressors, by taking on a smaller workload, taking a vacation, or disconnecting from work-related stress once you’re off the clock.

3. Work on yourself.

Both the Daily Nurse and KevinMD.com articles mention self-care as a powerful way to undo the damage of burnout or avoid it entirely. Self-care comes in many forms–although the term may conjure images of spa days and mani-pedis, it can also be as simple as making sure that you’re eating a healthy diet, doing exercise you enjoy, and cultivating a personal life. Dr. Khan wrote in detail about the expensive (and important) steps she took to ensure her health, which included hiring a personal trainer to help her reach fitness goals that contributed to her overall well-being.

4. Remember to rest.

A 2015 study found that burnout was linked to poor sleep quality in Indian medical students, and it’s easy to see how sleep deprivation or low-quality sleep could harm other healthcare professionals as well. Getting enough sleep when you’re not at work is a crucial first step in feeling rested enough to tackle stressors at work–and some hospitals are even introducing “reset rooms” and maze-like labyrinths to help staff relax, even momentarily, on shifts. If all else fails, a quick power nap can help relieve fatigue in the short- term.

Burnout is an unfortunate and often dangerous occupational hazard in the medical industry, but you can work to avoid or reverse the effects of this problem that some are calling an epidemic among healthcare professionals.