Summer School: Reduce Stressors, Avoid Burnout

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Summer School: Reduce Stressors, Avoid Burnout

July 2024

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Best Practices Clinician Health Empathy

Everyone in the healthcare industry has heard repeatedly about the increased rate of burnout over the last four years. While the numbers indicate that this phenomenon is decreasing in a positive trend, clinicians should still be aware of the signs and take preventative measures to reduce their risk of stress evolving into burnout. Just as students use summer break to refresh and recharge before the next school year, the summer months can be a great time for clinicians to self-assess their workload and build in time for their own recharging before the back half of the year kicks into high gear.

Why is identifying the signs of burnout important?

While recent studies show that burnout among healthcare professionals is declining, they still report feeling the effects at a much higher rate than the general working populace (34.8% compared to 25.2%), according to a study conducted by the American Medical Association (AMA). While a Medscape study conducted in late 2023 showed that burnout numbers are down four percentage points overall, 83% of those surveyed said that their burnout or feelings of depression almost entirely came from job stress. At PBI Education, one of our core tenets is that every professional has a “Violation Potential” and that sometimes all it takes is a catalyst for clinicians to end up in trouble. Stress, depression, and burnout can all be factors that lead an otherwise prudent clinician to commit a violation.

COVID-19 Increased Awareness of Burnout

The COVID-19 pandemic put incredible pressure on healthcare professionals, and one of the takeaways years after is the increased attention and awareness put on the signs of burnout. AMA conducted surveys that show the burnout rate was as high as 62.8% in 2021, but data released in July 2024 shows that it fell below 50% for the first time since the pandemic. The AMA goes on to emphasize that while it is good that the number is decreasing, “the extent of the problem remains a startling reality that demands ongoing attention.”

Many clinicians by nature prioritize others’ needs before their own, but it does not mean that you should ignore signs that things may be becoming too much to handle. Even though many aspects of life are more “normal” now than they were in the throes of the pandemic, it does not mean that clinicians are not dealing with an inordinate amount of challenges every day. One must take care of themselves first, and know when to take a step back, ask for help, or schedule a break to recharge. PBI’s Elevating Civility and Communication in Health Care (CC-30) course discusses the relevance that work-life balance has on one’s ability to better handle the challenges that present themselves in the work environment.

“I Can’t Take it Anymore”

Some specialties are more prone to burnout than others, and the Medscape survey highlighted the 25 specialties with the highest burnout rate (see table below). Topping the list was emergency medicine at 63%, with OB-GYN and oncology next at 53%. While burnout manifests in individuals, it originates in systems. The AMA references more modern burdens, such as Electronic Healthcare Records, and how much time is dedicated to completing and maintaining records, which takes away from time that can be spent with patients. When clinicians burnout, they tend to not only leave their job, but the profession entirely.

TOP-10 PHYSICIAN SPECIALTIES BY REPORTED BURNOUT

Specialty	Reported Burnout
Emergency medicine	63%
OB-GYN	53%
Oncology	53%
Pediatrics	51%
Family medicine	51%
Radiology	51%
Pulmonary medicine	50%
Anesthesiology	50%
Gastroenterology	50%
Internal medicine	50%

January 2024 Medscape report

The Challenges Posed by Stresses

There is a difference between stress in the job and burnout. Addressing the former can help prevent you from succumbing to the latter. In PBI courses, faculty facilitate participant discussions of their unique stressors, both at work and in their personal lives. Then, they work on solutions to combat them. If you are able to change how you approach stressors in your life, then you can alter the effects they may have on you.

Takeaways

While the overall numbers have improved, the high-stress nature of healthcare still sees a higher percentage of clinicians impacted negatively to the point of reporting burnout.
Make time to self-assess your workload and recharge. Proactive prevention is the best way to avoid the slippery slope that can lead to a violation.
Your personal circumstances can impact and contribute to burnout. Prioritize taking care of yourself personally, which will allow you to be better prepared to address workplace concerns.
Acknowledge, don’t bury the root of your stress. Then you can change how you approach these triggers to alter their potential negative effects on you.