Burnout and what to do that really helps

JKL33 · Oct 4, 2021

At this point it is on hospitals.

Singing kumbaya and doing yoga and spending time with loved ones and deep breathing and enjoying hobbies and blah, blah, blah does not make up for abuse by employers.

Wellness rooms make "leaders" feel good. They don't do jack for staff who don't have time to eat or put their feet up and are still being told whether they are allowed to have easy access to hydration.

Enough is enough.

What will help is regard for workers as human beings. And that is all, period.

Kiwi82, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2021

14 hours ago, JKL33 said:

At this point it is on hospitals.

Singing kumbaya and doing yoga and spending time with loved ones and deep breathing and enjoying hobbies and blah, blah, blah does not make up for abuse by employers.

Wellness rooms make "leaders" feel good. They don't do jack for staff who don't have time to eat or put their feet up and are still being told whether they are allowed to have easy access to hydration.

Enough is enough.

What will help is regard for workers as human beings. And that is all, period.

I agree 100%. Healthcare workers have been suffering long enough.
I’m looking for some creative ideas staff nurse to staff nurse. I know we need breaks, use the bathroom, drink water… breathe!
like making a team of people that can round on floors to offer breaks… non clinical nurses for example. Something like that.

allnurses Guide · Nov 3, 2021

I don't look to the hospital to do something about my burn-out. It's notthe hospital's fault if I have poor boundaries, or intrests and hobbies outside of my workplace. I have a greenhouse and garden where I grow fruits, vegetables and beautiful orchids. I love to cook and will make about 50 or 60 pies this holiday season which will either be sold or donated to food pantries. I never do more that one overtime or extra shift per pay period.

JKL33 · Nov 7, 2021

On 11/2/2021 at 9:17 PM, hppygr8ful said:

I don't look to the hospital to do something about my burn-out. It's notthe hospital's fault if I have poor boundaries, or intrests and hobbies outside of my workplace.

Well now we get to the part about what is or isn't actually burnout.

I don't look to the hospital to fulfill emotional needs. But what a lot of people seem to be calling burnout is simply being repeatedly beat down/abused in various ways and developing an intolerance to that, which is completely rational in my opinion. And I do not call it burnout. But since a lot of people do, the solution is what I said it is.

Boundaries can be an issue, yes. Do you think that the nursing profession--for example our Code of Ethics--clearly prioritizes our well-being? No, it doesn't. It essentially makes our well-being a matter of minor importance that is mostly necessary so that we can continue to serve all the more. Like a necessary evil. Keep yourself well, give some minor degree of regard to yourself, so that you can come back and do this again tomorrow.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Nov 11, 2021

My hospital has been offering free therapy sessions and consultations to any employee. I'm just curious who/how many of my colleagues go though. Other than that, I think I have a pretty relaxed and chillax mindset. I've definitely seen the burnout and the emotions go through my colleagues though since the pandemic. Gym, friends, and sleep are my coping strategies. I think being in NP school through the pandemic also helped me keep my priorities and mind straight. Being busy every day since the start of the pandemic in mostly good ways I think has helped me stay focused and burnout-free.

Ioreth, ADN, RN · Jan 23, 2022

My hospital is not doing much. We get the usual EAP and free counseling up to a certain number of sessions. There's also a feel-good section in our weekly newsletter, but I find that often the tone of that section doesn't take into account the reality of direct patient care jobs. It can be frustrating to be reminded to drink water when I can't even find time to eat or pee.

There was a moment during my newly licensed RN orientation that still sticks in my head. It was right before the pandemic so there were about 300 of us new grads piled in a conference room in the next largest city in my state. The corporate CEO gave a presentation then asked for questions. One particularly ballsy person asked what the company did to prevent nurse burnout. I remember the CEO's words almost exactly. "You are given X hours of PTO each year. If you use your PTO then you won't have any problems with burnout."

I doubt this man had any experience at the bedside. It is also hard to use your PTO when frequently denied due to short staffing and canceled due to call-ins.