How to prevent burnout in nursing
Burnout in nursing
Burnout is common in nursing which has stressors that are unique in their combination and intensity to the nursing profession, including:
- High workloads
- Inadequate resources or equipment
- Feeling out of control in when and how you work
- Feeling underpaid and overworked
- Having limited opportunities for promotion
- Feeling undervalued
- High turnover of other staff meaning supportive relationships are difficult to build
The International Classification of Diseases defines burnout as ‘resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’. Experiencing burnout means feeling exhausted, feeling negative about your role and noticing a reduction in your productivity or effectiveness. Within nursing this might mean that you find yourself:
- Unable to attend work
- Being negative or cynical about colleagues, your employing trust or your patients
- Noticing that you have less patience for tasks or complete certain aspects of your role slower or with less care
- Becoming physically unwell more often or more seriously than usual
Burnout can be the reason that many people leave nursing before retirement. It is therefore important for your patients, your organisation and your own wellbeing that you are able to identify and prevent burnout. Equally, burnout is not inevitable. With the right support from your employer you can experience a happy and long nursing career.
Tips for preventing burnout in nursing
To avoid burnout in nursing, try the following strategies:
- Take a holistic approach to life: engage in hobbies, spend time with loved ones, take breaks: ensure that life isn’t all about work
- Take on extra shifts and work with care; saying no sometimes is always ok. If you are at work twice as often but half as productive then you are not adding to patient experience or employers workload
- Ensure that your days off really are days off: don’t check your emails, limit contact with colleagues to non-work related conversations and avoid thinking about work where possible
- Facilitate a positive environment at work: be kind to colleagues, treat each other well and call out any negative behaviour you witness
- Talk to managers and supervisors when you are struggling and ask those who you supervise how they are. Respond with support when those around you are struggling
- Take care of yourself physically: eat well, sleep long and exercise regularly. These factors are vital for ensuring good mental wellbeing
Burnout UK was founded by Dr Julie Hannan and provides online courses for people to overcome and prevent burnout. Courses are written by Psychologists and approved by the British Psychological Society. Courses help you identify stressors that you face in your work and home life that might be contributing to your burnout and reshape areas of your life which are depleting you by developing new strategies to support your recovery and strengthen your resilience and wellbeing for the future.
