If you are a physician, nurse, or other professional working in healthcare, you’re probably aware that burnout rates can be high in healthcare fields - higher than the general population. Even before COVID-19, provider burnout was called a ”public health crisis.” Healthcare professionals usually choose their careers because patient care is meaningful; most want to make a positive impact and use their skills to help others. However, with a broken healthcare system and unending occupational stressors, working in healthcare can be demanding and exhausting!
And now with COIVD-19, stress is even higher for many in healthcare. Some early studies of provider stress during the pandemic suggest that “frontline” healthcare workers have experienced heightened stress and anxiety, which can start to impact their personal lives. and that they may be particularly vulnerable to mental health effects of the pandemic.
I’ve Been There Myself
In a previous post (Burnout 101), I wrote about my own personal experience with burnout. I spent about 12 years working as the psychologist on an interdisciplinary medical team in a large healthcare system. I absolutely loved my work, my patients, and my team. And, over the years, I went through periods of burnout. During those times, I struggled to keep up with the workload, lost touch with my passion for my work, and felt depleted in my work role. Even as a psychologist, it took me a while to realize that was happening. Burnout happens to us all from time to time; it’s how we respond to feelings of burnout that matters.
Healthcare Systems and the Culture of Medicine
As a whole, healthcare professionals are resilient. You have to be resilient to make it through school and training, not to mention years of working in a stressful job! So why are burnout rates so high among providers? In large part, provider burnout happens due to a dynamic between the individual provider and workplace factors. A busy schedule of seeing patients, long hours, and the demands of administrative tasks and electronic medical records all add to the stressful nature of the job. In recent years, some advocates for provider wellbeing (such as examples here and here) have argued that it is important to address problems with healthcare systems, instead of focusing entirely on helping the individuals who are experiencing burnout.
Many in healthcare may be reluctant to reach out for help, due to stigma and the culture of stoicism in medicine. Often providers take on more and more responsibility, and feel they should be able to handle it all without breaking a sweat. They may worry about what others will think if they acknowledge that they are struggling. Fortunately, many in medicine are starting to recognize that it is human to struggle during stressful times and call for an end to stigmatizing mental health. As a psychologist, I know that all humans have difficult emotions, and reaching out for support matters a lot — medical culture would change for the better if the burnout experience was acknowledged more widely and openly.
Resources to Promote Provider Wellbeing
For resources that might he helpful, check out this list: https://healthcarewellbeingcollective.com/resources
And check out my Nine Tips for Coping with Burnout here!
My Podcast Interviews on Healthcare Professional Wellbeing
I recently interviewed two psychologists, Dr. Abbie Beacham and Dr. Kerry Makin-Byrd, as well as Dr. Bernard Chang, an emergency medicine physician and research psychologist at Columbia University, about Healthcare Professional Wellbeing. Check out the two-part interview to learn more about provider stress, burnout, and wellbeing:
https://www.offtheclockpsych.com/podcast/healthcare-professional-wellbeing-part-1
https://www.offtheclockpsych.com/podcast/healthcare-professional-wellbeing-stategies-part-2
Video of My Interview with Dr. Bernard Chang on Healthcare Provider Stress
Below is the video footage of my podcast interview with Dr. Bernard Chang. Dr. Chang is an Emergency Medicine physician and research psychologist at Columbia University. He researches the psychological and physical health effects of stress on patients and clinicians. He also happens to be a friend of mine!