Self-Care for Health Workers

Help for burnout, exhaustion and PTSD

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Healthcare professionals are more susceptible to burnout than those in other professions: More than half of US physicians experience substantial symptoms of burnout; 43% of US nurses have a high degree of emotional exhaustion. And, this was before COVID-19!

Many studies within hospitals have found a direct link between reducing workload and reduced burnout. Burnout leads to exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of professional inefficiency.

These feelings could potentially mean poor quality of patient care, increased medical errors, a stronger likelihood of leaving the professions, and a greater risk of suicide and depression (18% of registered nurses experience depression).

Those at greater risk of burnout are:

• Loners
• Males
• Those under 30 (usually handle stress worse than older, more experienced peers.)
• Type-D personality (those who experience a wide range of negative emotions but suppress these emotions in social situations to avoid judgment) are five times more likely to develop burnout.
• Living in an isolated rural environment.

Coworkers can be powerful resources and emotional support from peers at work is essential to combat…