Question
What are the signs of burnout and the potential effects of burnout?
Answer
Signs of burnout include:
- Being cynical or critical at work
- Dragging yourself to work and have trouble getting started
- Being irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers, or clients
- Lacking the energy to be consistently productive
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Lacking satisfaction from your achievements
- Feeling disillusioned about your job
- Using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel
- Changed sleep habits
- Troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints
The potential effects of burnout on the professional if ignored or unaddressed can lead to significant consequences such as
- Excessive stress
- Fatique
- Insomnia
- Sadness, anger, or irritability
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Vulnerability to illnesses
Provider burnout according to studies (Reith, 2018) can also lead to
- Medical errors
- Higher levels of burnout are associated with higher rates of both patient mortality and dissemination of hospital-transmitted infections
- Burnout has been linked to dishonest clinical behaviors and a decreased sense of altruism
- High rates of burnout correlate with lower patient satisfaction ratings
- Greater job turnover, increased thoughts of quitting, and decreased workforce efficiency
Burnout leads to lower levels of staff engagement, patient experience, productivity, increased risk of workplace accidents. Lower levels of self engagement are linked with lower-quality patient care, including safety. Burnout limits providers' empathy which is a crucial component of effective and person-centered care.
For more information and strategies to assist with burnout check out this course: Beating Burnout and Building Resilience: Strategies to Succeed by Amy Schlessman, PT, DPT, DHS
References
Reith, T. P. (2018). Burnout in United States healthcare professionals: a narrative review. Cureus, 10(12)
MayoClinic (2021). Job Burnout: How to spot it and take action. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
