Patient Safety | 11.15.19
Healthcare System Causing Rampant Burnout Among Doctors, Nurses
by NAMSS Staff
Washington Post (10/23/19) Wan, William
A recent National Academy of Medicine report finds that as many as half of the country's doctors and nurses experience substantial symptoms of burnout. The committee determined that burnout is experienced by 35% to 54% of nurses and doctors and by 60% of medical students. Symptoms of burnout include emotional exhaustion, cynicism, loss of enthusiasm and joy in their work, and increasing detachment from their patients. The problem has been linked to higher rates of depression, substance abuse, and even suicide. High rates of burnout create risks for patients and lead to worker absenteeism, turnover, and billions of dollars in losses to the medical industry annually. These findings classify the issue of burnout as systematic and will require fundamental changes to fix. Researchers say high burnout rates are a byproduct of an increasingly dysfunctional healthcare system, as workers face long hours, mounting paperwork, fear of malpractice lawsuits, and insufficient resources.
Read the full article on the Washington Post.