Burnout will strike every healthcare professional at some point in time since they are at an increased risk for stress syndrome. Healthcare workers must recognize and address the issue. If left unattended, it will continue to impact their health and patient care. 

When evaluating the level of burnout with a healthcare professional, keep in mind many factors can lead an individual feeling maxed out. To get your healthcare team back on track, here are a few helpful tips to make sure that your organization keeps burnout to a minimum. 

Actively Listen 

When a fellow healthcare worker seeks help, leadership must take the time to listen and look for the cause of the stress. In healthcare, everything is fast-paced because it needs to be, but we must slow down and be there for one another, functioning safely and efficiently as a team. 

Identify the Problem 

Getting to the root of the burnout is critical. There may be multiple aspects to their level of stress, but finding the one that can be controlled is key. Often work-related burnout can be managed, but first, it is important to find out what part of the job is causing the most issues. 

Does the healthcare professional feel as though they lack control in their workplace? Has the job expectations been unclear? 

Is the team they are working with not the best fit? 

Do they have an unresolved conflict with management? 

Once you sit down to talk through these situations, you will be able to move forward and make a plan of action—which brings us to our next point. 

Create a Plan

If you notice signs of burnout in your healthcare team, it is important to make a plan that benefits both the employee and your team. Some ways to help ease the burden of a burned-out worker are encouraging that they take breaks, use their vacation time and even recommend a quick five-minute walk to help decompress. These things may seem small, but over time it will help those burned-out employees feel a little more in control. 

Keep Communicating

When it comes to burnout, it is essential to keep showing your support of the individual.  The best way to do this is through continued conversations. Making these talks as stress-free as possible is necessary so that the healthcare professional doesn’t feel as though they are being singled out. 

Also, keep in mind the times and methods in which you communicate. Sending emails after working hours can blur the line between work and life balance and can drive the already stressed work further into burnout. 

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To overcome burnout, healthcare workers and administrators must work together to reduce the effect of both work-related and non-work related factors that drive high burnout rates in healthcare. 

Establishing an outstanding healthcare team takes time and attention to detail. At Cure the Executive Edge, we specialize in finding you the right person, every time. Contact us today to get started.