Working in health care can be one of the most satisfying careers there are but there are these worrying Top 5 Things That Lead to Burnout In The Health Care Sector.
It is also one of the most stressful. Each day you are focusing on people who need your help in one way or another.
When you start in the field, they tell you not to become too involved with your patient… that is much easier said than done.
This is especially true if you work in a field where you see the same people frequently.
Burnout is considered a type of exhaustion that comes from taking on too much responsibility and neglecting yourself.
Most of the time, people get burnout when they work in high-stress career fields, frequently bring their work home with them, and work long hours.
Almost 400 physicians a year commit suicide, with the suicide rate being 130 percent higher for women who are physicians than the general population.
Not everyone who works in this field will get burnt out.
Many people are great at balancing their work and home life.
For those who aren’t, there are a few things that you need to watch for to avoid exhaustion.
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Learning How to Use New Technology
Most people believe that technology makes everything easier.
This is not always the case.
Health care providers are noticing that using electronic health records to make administrative tasks easier has been doing the opposite.
Many of these programs have an interface that is confusing to use and is taking clinicians a good portion of their workday.
This means that doctors are spending more time doing paperwork than working with their patients.
A few other reasons technology increases healthcare worker burnout is that doctors are no longer the ones making the decisions.
Now they put the information into a computer, and the lawyers and administrators help make the decision.
Health insurance is also making decisions on procedures and medications physicians can prescribe.
Working Too Much
If you’re getting to work early and then leaving late, chances are you’re working too much.
Most of the time, healthcare workers work longer than they should and even bring work home with them.
If you’re working like this, then you’re not taking care of yourself and certainly aren’t getting the sleep you need.
Being overworked and not getting enough sleep leads to exhaustion, stress, and then burnout.
People who take calls on the weekend or at night increase their odds of burning out.
Many times this is particularly important if you have a private practice.
Finances
Unless you’re going to go into home health care or become a CNA, you will have some type of student debt.
Choosing a career to help others comes with a lot of debt.
Such a high accumulation of debt can cause those new in the field to work longer hours to stay on top of their payments.
Most physicians now spend more money paying off their student loans than they can save.
The expense of having malpractice insurance can cause more financial strain.
Not only does it cause doctors stress, but so does the thought of being sued.
A healthcare provider has to make sure all of their t’s are crossed, and i’s are dotted.
Even improper paperwork can lead to a lawsuit.
Not Choosing The Right Health Care Field
When going into the health care field, you have a ton of choices.
If you choose the one that doesn’t match what you like, then you’re going to be unhappy in your field.
If you’re currently working in general surgery and find it doesn’t fulfill you, see what does.
Sometimes people will go to school and become physician assistants, then choose to go back to school and obtain their nursing degree.
Certain Areas Of Healthcare
Working in some areas of healthcare is much more stressful than others which can lead to these Top 5 Things that Lead to Burnout in the Health Care Sector.
If you work in an emergency room, are a surgeon, or a neurologist, you’re at a higher risk than those in other specialties.
Working in an emergency room is not only high stress, but it’s also fast-paced, and you’re taking care of multiple people as fast as you can while trying to make the correct diagnosis.
If you start feeling burnt out and realize you’re ready to look for a new job, don’t forget to use the CV resources for physicians to make sure it’s up to date. If changing your area of focus will help your mental health, that’s what you need to do. Some say that many times health care providers will change their careers at least once after graduating.
Physician burnout is one of the crucial things that is threatening our US health care system. We want to be able to provide high-quality healthcare without causing undue stress on the workers. Physicians need to be on the lookout for signs of burnout and take action as soon as they notice it.
