U.S. News & World Report recently blared the headline, “U.S. Faces Crisis of Burned-Out Health Care Workers.” This isn’t the case of the media being overly dramatic, either. There’s a lot of data available showing our nation’s healthcare teams are overburdened, exhausted, and burnt out. How can organizations reduce burnout? We have some suggestions.
Strategies to Diminish Healthcare Burnout
Front-line healthcare workers are facing more stress than ever, as COVID continues to fill hospital best with patients. Exacerbating the issue are the serious labor shortages facing healthcare providers, which are projected to only worsen over the next decade.
Burnout in healthcare has been quietly increasing over the past few years. U.S. News & World Report says, “Before the pandemic, physicians were at twice the risk for burnout compared to the general population, and about 40% of those surveyed reported depression and suicidal ideation.” Relief can happen, but healthcare organizations must have a deliberate strategy to combat staff burnout at all levels. Some strategies could include:
- Developing proactive strategies for combating burnout. Don’t wait for a medical mistake or high absenteeism to signal a problem. Instead, talk about burnout. Give staff the tools they need to fight stress. Check in with your teams frequently and remind them you are there to take care of them while they’re caring for the patient population.
- Helping your teams reengage in the mission of the organization. This will help with motivation and engagement. Higher engagement with the mission of patient care may help alleviate burnout symptoms.
- Reducing redundancy and wasted workflows. During the COVID crisis, many nursing teams picked up additional patient care duties. Have you remembered to realign their positions so they can go back to doing what they do best? Do your teams have the right technology to help them work smarter?
- Consider the value of new partnerships to help reduce employee workloads. Contract staffing can offer your organization additional support so that your overburdened and burnt-out staff can take some much-needed time off.
FoxHire is more than just an employer of record (EOR) software provider. We offer our clients contracted, managed healthcare teams that can bridge gaps in support of your existing healthcare teams.
Could you alleviate burnout at your organization by simply giving your staff some time off?
FoxHire is the go-to solution for healthcare organizations that would answer this question with a resounding, “Yes.” Contact us to find out more.
