Burnout for Health Care Providers
Health care workers are susceptible to burnout due to a generalized professional trait of empathy and a desire to help. Sources of burnout in health care providers include
- time management/productivity expectations
- inability to "help" or "fix" all patients; unable to meet all patient's expectations
- diminished personal achievement
- physical demand of work-related activities (lifting, patient transfers, mobilization)
- disillusionment with health care system
- depersonalized work environment; lack of connectedness
- lack of positive feedback (peers, paraprofessionals, patients)
Preventative Measures
Develop a healthy balance and growth in each of the following:
- physical self (exercise, nutrition, healthy habits, rest/sleep, body work, taking time for self, etc)
- emotional self (self-awareness and reflection, expression and creativity, relationships/support networks, positive self-talk)
- intellectual self (reading, investigating, skill building)
- spiritual self (meditation, prayer/faith, connectedness to nature)
Health care providers who take care of themselves can be more successful in maintaining a therapeutic presence for self and others (including patients). You can serve as a mentor and a model for stress managment in peer and patient interactions and patient education.
Multidisciplinary Perspectives
Occupational therapy includes optimizing physical, cognitive and behavioral health in the workplace. Perspectives here provide a framework for how body systems (mental health) can influence activity, motivation, and work effectiveness.
