Essay Sample on Overworked & Emotionally Drained: Burnout in the Healthcare Field

Introduction

Burn-out is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that occurs due to prolonged and excessive stress. It is, therefore, an overwhelming feeling such that a person is unable to meet demands continually and that the individual feels emotionally drained (Burnout Prevention and Treatment, 2020). Burnout results from continued stress such that one loses motivation and interest to work as usual. In the healthcare field, nurses are usually accorded with responsibility, which comes with it high expectations and high standards from the administration, physicians, and above all, patients. For this reason, nurses tend to have long working hours that are accompanied with few breaks; thus, they are exposed to high-stress levels in their everyday activities (Yucuis, 2020). Therefore, nursing as a profession is a demanding career and a dream that is often associated with workplace burnout.

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Strategies to Implement

Statistics indicate that 30% of modern workforces are likely to experience some degree of mental health disorder in just a year (Yucuis, 2020). However, for professions that are associated with stress at work such as nursing, the percentage could be higher and hence, require a decision-making process that is of high level. All employers are, therefore, expected to take into consideration the essence of understanding and supporting the well-being of the nurses. Thus, with the technological advancements in place in modern life, in addition to meeting constant demands, there is increased responsibility which comes with it stress in the workplace for nurses. There is a need to address the issues of burnout among nurses at work because of several reasons. The first and primary reason being the negative effects of nurse burnout, which result in turnovers, reduced productivity, and also increased attrition levels (de Oliveira, de Alcantara Sousa, Vieira Gadelha, and do Nascimento, 2019). The cost of turnover is the worrying figure when dealing with nurse burnout, which affects the whole healthcare system, including patients.

Understanding the Problem

As team nursing, the first step in preventing nurse burn out is by being aware of the problem itself. The team should then acknowledge the fact that the problem does exist among them to avoid falling victims of the nurse burnout (Scholastica, 2020). However, falling a victim of burnout does not mean there is nothing a nurse can do about, rather there are several things and measures that victims of burnout can adopt. In this case, burnout preventive measures are highlighted and discussed.

For seasonal nurses, for example, they should figure out the nursing areas they are passionate about and that they can sacrifice themselves to attend with much more comfort and pleasure. Since in nursing as a profession, there are many different specialties to choose from, nurses have the task to select the area where they can best fit by giving their all and committing to it. Whether in surgery, pediatrics, long-term care, or schools (institutions), wherever one can work best, this reduces the levels of burnout since they are pursuing what they enjoy and are passionate about (Scholastica, 2020). Burnouts at the workplace have become a trend that employers around the world are concerned about, and thus, the essence of health, especially mental health, should be taken into consideration. Provision of support and tools necessary for nurses, in addition to the resources required in the improvement of their success and well-being, are just some of the primary measures that should be put in place by employers to help minimize stress at work. It will also improve working conditions for nurses. Other measures that can help team nursing prevent nurse burn out include reduction of shift hours, increasing staff members, providing debriefing measures, especially after a traumatic event, and providing essential tools for mental health awareness (Yucuis, 2020).

Decision Making

Team nursing can also consider searching for areas or workplaces with lower nurse-to-patient ratios. It is usually an early precaution that nurses can consider before committing themselves, and that it involves decision-making on the best workplace. There are hospitals with high nurse-to-patient ratios, where nurses in such hospitals are more likely to experience job-related burnout; thus, dissatisfaction becomes an issue they are likely to be involved in as compared to hospitals with lower nurse-to-patient ratios. In this case, the higher the number of patients under care, the less time is allocated per patient for each nurse, which makes the task for nurses to take care of the patients seem stressful, incomplete, and robotic (Sadiku, 2016). Therefore, nurses need to look for institutions that do offer lower nurse-to-patient ratios when searching for jobs. For this reason, team nursing will be able to prevent burnout earlier before it even occurs in the workplace.

Signs and symptoms related to nursing burnout include lateness to report to work, developing a negative attitude towards work, social circle withdrawals, opposition to any workplace changes, and falling sick frequently. Team nursing should learn to recognize these signs even earlier before they occur as it will help formulate techniques and methods to overcome stress and any forms of negativity among the nurses (Contributor, 2020). Nurse burnout usually has a negative impact on the patient's care, such that high levels of nurse burnout mean the low quality of care for patients (Contributor, 2020). High levels of effectiveness and efficiency among nurses can only be realized with little or no burnouts; thus, every nurse is liable to avoid burnout, which will extend further to the workplace as a whole and then to the external support systems in existence.

Nursing Network

Finding a nursing network is another preventive measure that team nursing can take into consideration. It involves having people that can support a nurse to overcome a burnout. For nurses, it is important that they have contacts in their field that can offer them with the much-needed support. With this in place, the nurses can share their frustrations, experiences, victories, and notes amongst themselves. Therefore, nurses need a professional support network since they deal with particular stressors, including patient deaths in addition to difficult diagnoses on the job. Nurses need other nurses, especially those who are more experienced and familiar with multiple difficulties on the job, to act as a source of relief and comfort through sharing the approaches to such situations (Sadiku, 2016). Thus, a solid nursing network is crucial in the growth and development of the nurses' aspirations.

Nurses can strive to work towards achieving a positive work environment that is supportive to help decrease turnovers. Such an environment enhances nurse-patient outcomes, and also provides a basis for nurse-to-nurse support measures, in a way that each nurse can get any form of help they need at any given time through the supportive culture implemented. Employee assistance programs are also crucial in nurse burnout prevention through the provision of resources, be it through health insurance or as comprehensive benefits, and it can only be possible through healthcare facilities. Such programs offer important nurse sessions such as guidance and counseling, education, and self-care workshops to the nurses experiencing feelings of burnout (Contributor, 2020). Therefore, these programs provide additional knowledge that is relevant in guiding one in sustaining their long, enjoyable, and successful careers.

Nutrition

Team nursing should also prioritize their daily nutrition in such a way that despite their nutrition know-how, lengthy shifts and bad habits developed from their childhood life to schools and then to the workplace can interfere with their health. Nurses tend to be more knowledgeable on health issues than a normal average person, but it does not always necessarily mean they are not exposed to the risk of poor nutrition measures. The nurses' job description is a demanding profession that might demand them time to plan and adhere to the proper diet. Therefore, the nurses should be prepared and determined to adhere to the appropriate nutrition practices that will afterward prevent burnouts at the workplace. In this case, the nurses are required to plan ahead of time so they can be able to take healthy meals and snacks. The profession is a demanding one that necessitates healthy fuel consumption for the body (Sadiku, 2016). Occasional nutritional cleanses are also important when managing stress levels, and, therefore, it is vital for nurses to give their bodies breaks from low-quality foods in the occurrence of burnout symptoms.

Team nursing should also engage themselves in brain-dumping practices, which helps overcome stresses resulting from home life rather than concentrating on the work. Such stresses relate to the mental health of individuals such that they are unable to control themselves from what they go through away from work. It usually leads to work burnout, and one of the best ways to overcome it is by practicing brain dumping. Brain dumping involves a nurse taking note of the workday upon reaching home and then destroying the note without going through it so that one cannot load it back into the mind (Scholastica, 2020). Hence, such an exercise will help one forget about the workday activities and instead focus on homework without any stress issues, and this will help prevent nurse burnout.

Time for Yourself

Taking some time for themselves is also a burnout preventive measure that nurses should adopt. It is often crucial that anyone at work allocate some time for personal rejuvenation by engaging in doing things they enjoy most and so nurses should not be exceptional in this. It helps relieve pressure at work and can be in the form of a massage, visiting a beautiful place or garden, attending a relaxation yoga session, engaging in a meditation class, or even attending a manicure service. Such activities, among others, will be helpful in mind refreshment and that one will come out more energetic and more motivated to work than ever.

Team nursing can engage in other hobbies that are not related to nursing. It is based on the reasoning that, majority of the nurses have multiple natural talents and that they are multi-passionate. Therefore, the nurses should be allowed to explore their talents and passions, which will help eliminate nurse burnouts at all costs since the nurses will be able to pursue their hobbies outside nursing (Yucuis, 2020). The hobbies include dancing, swimming, drawing, writing, woodworking, watching, riding, playing games, among others that will challenge nurses' brains in different ways through entertainment that is beneficial in refreshing the mind and in the long-run for team nursing.

Taking instantaneous short breaks is also a consideration that nurses should observe. It involves engaging in calming activities during these short breaks, such as stretching for a minute to release the pressure that had been built during the working hours (Scholastica, 2020). The activities should be active such that a nurse can release whatever pressure they might have developed during the busy schedule of attending to patients.

Mediation Room and Yoga Classes

Finally, for nurses to come together and engage in solving issues such as disputes at work, mediation can be a helpful strategy. The mediation will not only help in settling disputes among nurses but also in reducing the stress that they go through at work. Based on stress perception, mediation as a strategy reduces stress issues since the nurses can now willingly engage in a mediation process regardless of the source and nature of...