Tensed male nurse leaning on wall in corridor of hospital
The nursing shortage has become a crisis.
As the U.S. population ages, the number of people that require care is growing. Simultaneously, nurses are retiring in droves. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2022, 1.2 million roles for Registered Nurses (RNs) will be left vacant. The demand for nurses has outweighed the supply of new nurses for years, but recently, the issue has reached a fever pitch.
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As supply stagnates and demand skyrockets, healthcare providers must do all they can to hold onto their nursing staff. But, to reduce nurse turnover, employers must first address nurse burnout. So, what does burnout look like? And, how can hospitals reduce it?
Consider Sharon’s story. Sharon, an RN in Washington State, explained in an article for the Nurses’ Journal that her burnout developed slowly, over 20 years of being asked to work “until she dropped,” by hospitals and private practitioners alike. As she worked 12-hour shifts for over a week without a day off, her physical and mental faculties could no longer cope. But the management of the hospital kept asking more and more of her, despite her pleas for reinforcements.
Sharon’s routine eventually caught up to her. Compassion is one of the most critical qualities for a good nurse, but as the stress piled up, Sharon felt herself becoming cynical. As her managers asked her to work more and more, she began to see her work as drudgery. She started to lose patience and found herself becoming short with colleagues and losing friends. As her compassion slipped away, so did the quality of her work. Sharon’s story demonstrates why burnout is an issue on two accounts: it erodes nurses’ happiness and reduces the quality of patient care.
Preventing nurse burnout: what healthcare providers can do
Healthcare providers must recognize that burnout is not an individual problem. It is not an issue of commitment or skill; thousands of very qualified caregivers like Sharon — nurses, doctors, and therapists alike — experience burnout at one time or another.
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Rather, nurse burnout stems directly from flawed management practices that leave nurses overworked and underappreciated. To solve these issues, healthcare providers must look to change high-level processes. Here’s where they can start:
- Bridge the gaps in internal communication: When nurses are barred from high-level communications in health systems, they can feel underappreciated and powerless in their roles. By establishing a central, navigable platform for communications, healthcare providers can connect nurses with their coworkers and managers, helping them feel engaged with the work they do.
- Give nurses control over their schedules: One of the primary causes of burnout is inflexible scheduling. Without the ability to make changes to their demanding schedules, nurses may fall into a routine of overwork. A digital workplace platform can offer a more flexible and agile scheduling system, allowing nurses control over their busy weeks, and removing the feeling of being stuck in an over-demanding routine.
- Expand training offerings: When they switch teams or roles, nurses are often handed new responsibilities without the training to navigate them. Without on-demand, self-service training, nurses in new positions are at high risk for burnout. Healthcare organizations should offer digital tools that can train staff not only for patient care but for personal health and managing job-related stress. More training will provide nurses with a sense of achievement and belonging.
When it comes to holding on to the most talented employees, the nurse shortage poses an unprecedented challenge for healthcare providers. With a shrinking pool of peers, nurses will be able to leverage their talent to work on their terms; if they feel they are becoming burned out in their current position, they will do what Sharon did, repeatedly: pursue other opportunities. Fortunately, by simply implementing a digital workplace platform, healthcare providers can make all the changes outlined above, empowering and engaging their nurses and wider staff.
Healthcare providers must examine their own systems, and ask themselves if their culture is doing all that it can to prevent nurse burnout. And if not, it’s time to make a change.
Photo: Wavebreakmedia