You know the saying, “rise and grind.” This phrase is talking about how people should do everything in their power to work as hard as they can, as much as they can. But what is the overall narrative of this sentence? How is it affecting people? A statement like this means that people need to prioritize work over everything else. Working hard is the end all be all. If you are not a hard worker and are not giving it your all everyday, what else is there?
These types of questions deserve to be brought to the table, especially when talking about the healthcare industry. It’s a known fact that clinicians all across the country are experiencing burnout, therefore creating high turnover rates within the industry. Healthcare leaders and the systems they run need to understand that the current operations are not always helping frontline workers reach their goals, but are instead causing them to leave altogether. Burnout is one of the leading causes of turnover, and it’s time to streamline processes so patient and employee care becomes the top priority.
Studies show that there are a few different reasons for an increase in burnout. One of the most recent challenges is navigating the healthcare system from the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, frontline workers were tested with battling a deadly virus with high numbers of infected patients, all while doing their other daily tasks. This type of workload put a lot of responsibility on employees’ shoulders and made them feel burnt out at higher rates.
“Clinicians are being overworked both on and off the frontlines. Their workloads are not just full of taking care of patients, but they also have to spend countless hours doing paperwork. No wonder they are feeling burnt out. They have virtually no break in their shifts to breathe or truly focus on their patients, because they are swamped with administrative tasks. Doctors and nurses have a huge weight on their shoulders and it’s time to take care of them,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
The workload imbalance that clinicians experienced during the pandemic has eased some, but there are many out there that are still battling an overflowing to-do list. The main job of a doctor/nurse is to take care of patients, but how can they truly do that if they are bogged down with paperwork, record keeping and other administrative tasks? With all of these responsibilities, it’s understandable that employees do not want to put up with this unsustainable role.
“Instead of overworking them, it’s important to invest in technology or programs that will give them more time in their days. Why should they be spending hours on paperwork, when technology is advanced enough to do it for them? Just because clinicians are clocked in does not mean they have to do multiple jobs at once,” Worthy says.
Another main cause of employee turnover is the fact that there is a huge disconnect between the frontlines and those in the executive field. Health executives and leaders are usually the ones that make decisions for the organizations. Frontline workers are taking care of patients and seeing problems firsthand. How can executives truly understand what’s going on internally and externally if they are not the ones working with patients? The answer is that it is really hard to be fully in tune with those at the heart of the healthcare mission. This disconnect makes employees not feel valued or respected for their work, and can lead them to quit their current roles to find one where they feel more appreciated. Instead, leaders should make time to spend on the frontlines and talk with the employees, who their decisions affect. This will not only help employees feel heard, but will help solve problems within the healthcare system as a whole.
Burnout is a cycle. It starts with heavy workloads, unsustainable schedules and underappreciation from higher-ups. All of those things lead to feeling overworked, and many times causes employees to leave in search of something better. In extreme cases, they might even leave the industry altogether. It’s time for the healthcare system to streamline administrative processes and work to understand its employees, so some of the weight is taken off their shoulders. Burnout is a leading cause of turnover, but there is a cure.