Abstract
[This is an excerpt.] Our health depends on the well-being of our health workforce. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Academy of Medicine found that burnout had reached “crisis levels” among the U.S. health workforce, with 35-54% of nurses and physicians and 45-60% of medical students and residents reporting symptoms of burnout.4 Burnout is an occupational syndrome characterized by a high degree of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (i.e., cynicism), and a low sense of personal accomplishment at work. People in any profession can experience burnout, yet it is especially worrisome among health workers given the potential impacts on our health care system and therefore, our collective health and wellbeing. Burnout is associated with risk of mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression—however, burnout is not an individual mental health diagnosis. While addressing burnout may include individual-level support, burnout is a distinct workplace phenomenon that primarily calls for a prioritization of systems-oriented, organizational-level solutions. [To read more, click View Resource.]
This resource is found in our Actionable Strategies for Workers & Learners AND What Workers & Learners Can Do AND What the Public Can Do AND Actionable Strategies for Government: Empowering Workers & Strengthen Leadership and Governance (Invest in Programs and Evidence) AND Aligning Values & Improving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Aligning Values and Improving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) AND Advancing Measurement & Accountability (Establish Health & Public Safety Workforce Analysis and Planning Bodies) AND Strategies for Other Private Organizations
