Constant changes at work got you feeling exhausted? It could be Change Fatigue?

Healthcare is an ever-changing field, new drugs, procedures, and technologies are released daily and organizations are expected to update accordingly to provide best practice and outcomes. However, constant change can become exhausting and lead to burnout. This is called "Change Fatigue."

Change Fatigue is bad for organizations as a whole because they need the buy-in of all employees to help push change forward. An employee engaged in the organization's goals is able to innovate, to problem solve interventions, and to provide coaching to peers. An employee who embraces ongoing change and opportunities will have higher outcomes and productivity. With change fatigue, employees are more passive, do not participate in the above activities and are less productive. It follows that Employees suffering from change fatigue exhibit decreased productivity, incivility, and increased feelings of stress and irritability¹.

Does this sound familiar to any of you?

Constant Change can cause "individuals to become overwhelmed, their ability to adapt becomes depleted, and the loss of control and uncertainty skyrocket".⁴

In a perfect scenario, new changes roll out smoothly and without hiccups. Our employers would communicate clearly to us why the change is necessary and how long it would take.

To summarize, "Organizations that plan and manage change thoughtfully and with long-term goals in mind make a point of providing a clear start point, an unambiguous transition phase, and a clear goal (endpoint) for each change undertaken," ³.

Unfortunately, many organizations are not adept at change and undertake many projects at once, they may not communicate clearly to all staff and the goals for the project may be unclear. This leads to change fatigue and...burnout!

As nurses, we are acutely familiar with how frequent change is in our work environment. And often, we do become exhausted by it.

So, what can we do to personally combat our feelings and reactions to constant change in the workplace?

• If you are unsure of why a change is occurring or of what the goal for the change it- ask! It is important to ask why so that you can understand what is going on and what the necessities are. Communicate with your manager or education lead, program director, or whoever is involved in the project. When employees are informed they feel more empowered and then become more involved.
• Reward yourself for accomplishments. Treat yourself to something, a fancy coffee, your favorite food, maybe a movie. It makes you want to go along with the change process knowing you're going to get a treat at the end. If you're employer already does this, then fantastic! Allot of organizations have morale funds or a retention committee that plan for such things. They may host a BBQ for staff, provide a popcorn day, supply you with coffee on Monday mornings. My hospital has a retention committee and they plan things of that nature for the staff. If your organization doesn't have one, you could be the very person to help form such a group!
• Take advantage of the change. If you are someone who is afraid or uncomfortable with change use it as an opportunity to build strengths. Find a way to put a positive spin on the situation to build your career and resume.
• Maintain a good work-life balance. Leave your job stress at work! Don't take it home with you. Relax on your time away from work and schedule time for yourself to do things you enjoy.
• Accept that there will always be changes in healthcare. Your stress level will go down once you cease worrying about if and when the next change will take place. Plus, the energy you don't use on resisting change can be put into learning opportunities and career advancement.

Sources Referenced:

1. Beaudan, Eric. "Making Change Last: How to Get Beyond Change Fatigue." Iveybusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 14.09.2018
2. "Ditch 'Change Fatigue' and Embrace Continual Evolution." CCL.org Retrieved 14.09.2018.
3. Perlman, Ken. "Change Fatigue: Taking Its Toll on Your Employees?". Forbes. Retrieved 12.09.2018
4. Turner, Dawn-Marie. "Change Fatigue: Is Your Organization Too Tired to Change?". thinktransition.com. Retrieved 12.09.2018