Nursing Practice and Burnout

Nursing is a profession that is both physically and emotionally demanding.Due to the demand places on nurses, nursing has been observed to yield one of the highest risk of employee burnout. Learn more about what contributes to burnout and how to identify the signs of burnout.

Nursing is a profession that is very emotionally and physically demanding. It takes a certain kind of person to enter this field and continue through it with compassion and purpose. Practicing with empathy and compassion has been seen to be more beneficial than just being sympathetic. Since this career path is so demanding physically, emotionally, and psychologically, many nurses become burnt out due to the workload or possibly the lack of taking proper care of themselves.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is a reference used to describe the psychological reaction to chronic work stress.

Studies show that burnout can predispose workers to coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms. Burnout can be seen in workers through exhaustion, cynicism, and diminished professional efficacy.

Studies show an increase in anxiety levels within nurses and hospital workers.

Burnout within the nursing profession may result in the loss of compassion for patient care and could increase the amount of incidences of practice errors which results in lack of patient safety .

Nurses become distressed when they cannot deliver the type of care they want to provide. If this stress is not acknowledged, it is encompassed in the nurse’s emotional and physical state which can lead to exhaustion and burnout. The more conscientious nurses, who have a need to give their very best, are most vulnerable to burnout. Studies show the link between nursing burnout and an increased likelihood of infections in patients. And hospitals with high burnout rates tend to have lower patient satisfaction overall.

Statistics of Burnout

Studies show that burnout can predispose workers to coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms. Burnout can be seen in workers

through exhaustion, cynicism, and diminished professional efficacy.

Here are some sobering nurse fatigue and nurse burnout statistics, from a May 2017 survey by Kronos Incorporated of 257 RNs working in U.S. hospitals:

• 98 percent of hospital nurses said their work is physically and mentally demanding

• 85 percent noted that their nursing jobs make them fatigued overall

• 63 percent reported that their work has caused nurse burnout

• 44 percent worry their patient care will suffer because they are so tired

• 41 percent have considered changing hospitals during the past year due to burnout

Another survey found that while nurses felt they were respected by physicians (65 percent), relationships with administrators was mixed, with 46 percent feeling respected and 32 percent feeling disrespected. Nearly 50 percent of nurses who consider leaving nursing don’t feel respected by administration.

Many nurses have also experienced harassment or bullying in their job. This harassment comes from other nurses, physicians and administrators.

• 45 percent of nurses have been verbally harassed or bullied by other nurses

• 41 percent have been verbally harassed or bullied by managers or administrators

• 38 percent have been verbally harassed or bullied by physicians