A more pertinent question for the everyday person may be this: Why should people care about nurse burnout?
Nurse burnout affects more than half of the nursing workforce (62 percent). This workforce group is already burdened with severe shortages, and the situation has direct consequences for everyone.
Nurses provide essential patient care in almost every single healthcare setting.
What happens to your level of care when there aren’t enough nurses working?
Insufficient nurses result in longer wait times, shorter or rushed patient interactions, nurse disinterest, and even errors or missing information about important pieces of your medical history and current condition.
Nurse burnout affects us all because, as a society, we rely on the expertise, empathy, and skills of these specialized professionals to do all of the following:
- Assess and analyze our current condition
- Take care of us
- Provide us with information and practical tips on preventative care
- Educate us on how to manage our illnesses and injuries
What is nurse burnout?
Now that we’ve established why nurse burnout impacts us all, let’s answer the next logical question.
What is it?
According to the American Nurses Association, nurse burnout, also referred to as compassion fatigue, “is a serious job-related condition…caused by unmanaged, workplace chronic stress.”
What does it look like?
The symptoms of nurse burnout include the following:
- Physical exhaustion
- Emotional exhaustion
- Disinterest or apathy about the job or patients
- Negativity
- Diminished capability
- Lower job satisfaction
Nurses experiencing burnout are also more likely to experience physical and emotional health issues.
Understanding why nurses are so burnt out
This brings us back to the original title question: Why are nurses so burnt out?
One of the leading causes of burnout is a heavy workload, often attributed to insufficient nurse staffing. The fewer nurses there are to work a shift, the more work there is for each one of them. This refers to the nurse staffing ratio—how many patients a nurse is responsible for on a shift.
Other causes include the following:
- Lack of support from management
- Isolation among peers
- Violence and bullying in the workplace
- High levels of stress
The present nurse shortages, combined with alarming rates of turnover and position vacancies, have left many healthcare facilities struggling to maintain adequate staffing ratios—exacerbating nurse burnout.
Strategies for facilities to address nurse burnout
Research commissioned by the healthcare staffing platform Nursa analyzed the opinions and attitudes of health system executives and chief financial officers (CFOs) and found the following insights:
- Nearly all—98 percent—see nurse staffing as a significant challenge for their facilities.
- In 86 percent of hospitals and health systems surveyed, turnover rates among nursing staff were 10 percent or higher.
- Starting wages for nurses were increased by 20 percent or more, according to 77 percent of CFOs.
- According to 75 percent of CFOs and 69 percent of executives, nursing costs are a top driver of margin pressures.
- The use of contracted nurses more than doubled from 2019 to 2023.
The workplace is directly linked to the cause of burnout. Therefore, healthcare facilities play a crucial role in addressing the issue.
They can implement various strategies to reduce the risk of nurse burnout. Doing so will help them protect and retain the nursing staff they have, combat those high turnover statistics, and make their recruitment efforts more effective amid a shortage.
Sufficient staffing
Feeling overworked is a common catalyst for burnout. Facilities should pay close attention to their nurse-patient staffing ratios. Ensuring sufficient nursing staff for each shift will reduce the workload and allow nurses to perform their responsibilities effectively.
Utilizing contract nurse staffing—often referred to as PRN staffing or per diem staffing—allows facilities to fill shift gaps, cover for planned leaves of absence of internal staff, and boost staffing ratios during a high patient census period. It can be an affordable and effective strategy that can replace the costly practice of mandatory overtime.
Mental health resources
The workplace should encourage and support nurses’ access to mental health services, such as therapy or counseling. This can include providing direct access, fostering a culture that prioritizes mental health, and offering stress-management training.
Opportunities for professional growth
Job dissatisfaction can be linked to feelings of professional stagnation. The workplace should encourage professional growth within the organization by offering mentorship programs, specialized training, and clear paths for advancement.
Communication and trust
Nurses need to feel appreciated, heard, and supported by their administrators and managers. Lack of trust can impact their willingness to capitalize on professional opportunities and workplace resources and breed cynicism and isolation. Additionally, their insights into what is and is not functioning well in the workplace and other ideas can be pivotal when decision-makers seek ways to increase efficiency and improve staff cohesion.
Workplace safety
Healthcare workers are often the victims of violence in the workplace—five times more likely than other professionals. Workplace bullying is also a concern.
Healthcare facilities should prioritize physical and emotional safety by providing violence prevention training, establishing a clear and safe system for reporting incidents to reduce reporter burden, creating protocols for handling incidents, and integrating anti-bullying measures.
Encouragement of time off
Facilities should plan for and approve nursing staff’s requests to take shift breaks and utilize their paid leave. Time away from work can help nurses reset and refresh.
Using PRN staffing platforms to cover planned leave for nurses can help them take time off without feeling guilty for potentially overburdening their coworkers.
How you can help address nurse burnout
Citizens have a role in reducing nurse burnout, too. What can you do?
Here are some ideas:
- Support nurses: Support proposed policies, regulations, and laws that will protect nurses, reduce their work burdens, and strengthen nursing programs. Grow community awareness and support for these actions.
- Recognize nurses: Take the time to thank the nurses in your life. Express your support for their hard work to nurse managers, on social media, and within your social circle.
Addressing nurse burnout is good for all of us
Addressing nurse burnout isn’t only good for our nurses, who deserve respect, safety, and health. Addressing nurse burnout is good for us all.
Adequate staffing ratios will ensure nurses have the necessary time to spend with their patients. When nurses are satisfied with their jobs, they can be more compassionate and present. Nurses who aren’t overworked can be thorough and are less likely to make errors.
When nurses feel safe and supported at work, they can be healthier, happier, and better nurses.
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