A strategic imperative: Effective solutions to addressing clinician burnout
Burnout among the clinical workforce has been a concern for some time but the COVID-19 pandemic only intensified the problem, with reports over the last year showing burnout has risen as clinicians deal with the heightened stress of extreme and unsafe conditions. During a Aug. 17 webinar, executives from Bright.md, SnapNurse and Vocera shared strategies healthcare organizations can execute to reduce burnout among their clinical workforce such as technology solutions, staffing changes and cultural shifts.
1 Electronic health records are a major source of burnout
Many studies show that using the electronic health record is a huge cause of burnout for clinicians. And interactions with EHRs and other technologies have only increased during COVID-19, worsening burnout, said Dr. Edward Abraham, chief medical advisor at Bright.md. Innovation at healthcare organizations has exploded over the last 18 months to respond to the pandemic but consequently, it has resulted in clinicians needing to adopt to new standards in the EHR and new technologies, such as telehealth platforms, Abraham added.
2 Asynchronous technology is a powerful way to address burnout
Asynchronous technology allows for patients to communicate their health concerns and answer relevant questions prior to a real-time appointment with a clinician. The technology can help reduce burnout because it eliminates the time a clinician spends logging routine information about the patient into the EHR. Instead, the clinician already has that information and can spend appointments getting to patients’ chief health concerns. Abraham said health systems using asynchronous technology see a significant reduction in the time a clinical spends on low-acuity telehealth visits.
3 Psychological safety of healthcare workers is just as important as their physical safety
Right now, safety of healthcare workers is typically defined by the safety of their physical environment. But the industry’s standard of safety should be expanded to include their emotional and spiritual well-being as well, said Dr. M. Bridget Duffy, chief medical officer of Vocera. There is a persistent stigma associated with clinicians seeking mental health services and healthcare leaders must pave the way to dismantle it. Additionally, workplace violence is a common concern for nurses but its impact on their emotional well-being isn’t routinely discussed. The racial injustice and bias healthcare workers face are also rarely talked about by leaders even though it contributes to psychological distress. “We have to take on (all three of these issues) quickly and urgently as a nation so that we don’t cripple our healthcare system on the other side of this pandemic,” Duffy said.
4 Extreme staffing shortages contribute to burnout
Adequate staffing, particularly of nurses, was a challenge for healthcare organizations prior to COVID-19. Now since the pandemic, staffing agencies like SnapNurse are seeing a ten-fold increase in demand for supplement staff at hospitals, said Jeff Richards, SnapNurse co-founder and chief operating officer. Workforce shortages lead to conditions like mandatory overtime, higher nurse-to-patient ratios and cuts to breaks, all of which contribute to feelings of burnout. These workplace conditions can also harm patient care with an exhausted, overwhelmed staff missing key safety and quality measures.
5 Improve burnout through optimal staffing, working conditions
It is important leaders are constantly monitoring their organization’s staffing levels and they recognize when to partner with staffing agencies to support their workforce. Leaders must also prioritize safe working conditions by ensuring clinical staff always get adequate breaks and lunches and mandatory overtime policies are only implemented when necessary. Additionally, leaders must ensure their organization provides and encourages the use of mental health counseling for staff. Finally, creating quiet spaces within hospitals and other clinical settings staff can use to relax and meditate during shift breaks is a great benefit leaders should consider.