The acuity levels on my unit have been incredibly high lately or maybe it feels that way because we short staffed. When I walk onto the floor I never know if I’m getting pulled to another unit or if I am getting a heavy assignment with patients that are more appropriate for an intensive care unit. Lately I’ve had a knot in my stomach when I go to work. I feel a sense of dread and anxiety. I’ve found myself considering changing jobs even though I work with a great team of nurses and started out loving this job. It made me start to wonder “could I be experiencing burnout?”

RNs comprise roughly two-thirds of healthcare professionals, and therefore have an enormous impact on the quality of patient care. So when nurses experience burnout due to hospital staffing shortages and high acuity patients it can lead to decreased patient satisfaction and increased negative outcomes such as hospital-acquired infections and mortality. Simply put: when nurses suffer, patient care suffers.

Burnout has been reported to affect as much as 63% of nurses according to a 2017 Kronos survey. It’s no wonder burnout is so high considering that 98% percent of nurses also reported that their work is mentally and physically demanding and 90% have thought about leaving their hospital job to find more work/life balance.

Of course nurses encounter intense situations at work and experience some level of stress. But stress can be an effective motivator, and stress hormones help you respond quickly to an urgent situation. So, how do you distinguish burnout from stress? The World Health Organization recently recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon; a syndrome “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

The telltale signs of burnout are:

1. Physical or mental exhaustion
2. Cynicism about your job or feelings of detachment from work
3. Reduced professional efficacy

So stress and anxiety that is not well managed can lead to burnout over time. Signs of stress include physical complaints such as headaches, stomach aches or other digestive issues, muscle tension and fatigue. Recognizing stress and learning ways to cope effectively with it may prevent you from reaching burnout. Feeling stressed or overwhelmed at work may be a sign that you are in over your head. Reach out to your co-workers or charge nurse when you need help. Don’t forget to take breaks and eat healthy at work. Mindfulness meditation, when practiced regularly, may also boost your internal resources for dealing with stressful situations because it will increase your ability to focus and remain calm. 

If you are interested in mindfulness techniques and other ways to reduce stress at work watch for my future blog posts for tips, tools and more resources.

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Categories: Healthcare, Nursing, Careers

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