Burnout and stress among the nation’s clinicians and healthcare professionals are starting to become an epidemic that is demanding urgent attention. In a new Spok survey, nearly all 474 clinical staff members surveyed from hospitals and health systems in the U.S. called burnout a public health crisis, but admit their organizations aren’t doing enough to protect against it.
According to another report from Press Ganey, clinician burnout is a complex issue that can be addressed with a thorough examination of working conditions and carefully outlined interventions that target the main reasons behind burnout.
Understanding Clinician Burnout
Burnout is usually the term used by healthcare professionals when trying to understand the symptoms of being stressed out. Occupational stress, depression, career dissatisfaction, and moral distress are all signs and symptoms of clinician burnout. All these elements come together to impact the overall health of clinicians and contribute to the loss of practicing healthcare workers.
There is also a financial impact of clinician burnout as the turnover reduced productivity and other factors related to burnout costs the industry between $2.6 billion and $6.3 billion on an annual basis. If a hospital or physician clinic needs to replace a doctor, it can end up costing them more than $250,000 and up to $1 million. The average turnover cost for a nurse also makes an impact and ranges from $40,000 to $60,000.
How to Protect Against Burnout
Clinicians can take a number of steps to detect and stay safe against burnout. The healthcare facilities at which they work can also protect their operations from burnout through wholesale healthcare facilities insurance that is specifically made to protect against claims from employees. This kind of insurance is meant to provide healthcare facilities the safety next they need from claims such as burnout. If a clinician makes a burnout claim related to being overworked or not supported, this can bring major financial stress upon a facility.
For employees, there are steps to take to limit burnout. First, they can start by taking a break and recharging. It could be a good time to take a break and invest in a sabbatical that allows them to recharge and examine the direction they’re going. Shutting down and not thinking about work and instead focusing on travel or rest can go a long way.
Next, clinicians can talk to someone and invest in talk therapy. It may be that a doctor is in a new city where they don’t know anyone. This can be harmful to their mental and emotional health in not having a support system. However, there are many different options they can take advantage of to build a new support system.
There are professional services for doctors to look into, such as psychology or psychiatry. And while this is a good first line of defense, they can also look for support groups that focus on putting the emotional and mental health of healthcare professionals first. Also, looking into recreational groups, like hiking, sports, and other outdoor activities, or book clubs, can bring anyone together and give clinicians an opportunity to meet new people who work in other industries, allowing them to take their minds off what they do day-to-day.
Investing in a clinician’s future will help to keep their head above water while also preventing turnover, burnout, and more risks down the road.
About Connected Risk Solutions
At Connected Risk Solutions, we use our expertise and experience to provide insurance information and programs to those who serve long-term care and senior living facilities. Since 2007, we’ve been offering insurance and risk management plans designed to help our agents give their clients the ability to achieve continued growth while simultaneously protecting against loss, containing costs and increasing profitability. To learn more, contact us at (877) 890-9301.
