Strategies to Prevent Nurse Burnout

COVID may have receded from public conversation and consciousness, but the medical world is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. During the height of the pandemic nurses received a lot of public praise, but as the world returned to normal so did the appreciation for nurses. Little attention was paid to nurse burnout.

While the public has moved on, healthcare continues to need nurses. But so many nurses are finding themselves burnt out from the constant demands of 24-hour care, short staffing, and the trauma of long COVID.

Nurse burnout has a significant impact on the whole healthcare system. It can lead to:

• Increased patient mortality and morbidity.
• Decreased quality of care.
• Higher healthcare costs.
• Staff turnover and absenteeism.

Strategies to Prevent Nurse Burnout

Some changes need to be addressed on a system-wide scale, while others can be done as an individual. Some strategies that can be used to prevent and mitigate nurse burnout.

Increased staffing

Providing adequate staffing levels can help reduce nurses’ workload and stress levels.

Improved work environments

Creating a positive work environment that is supportive and respectful can help nurses feel valued and appreciated.

Work-life balance

Ensuring that nurses have a healthy work-life balance can help prevent burnout. This may include providing flexible work hours, opportunities for professional development, and paid time off.

Stress management training

Providing nurses with stress management training can help them develop coping mechanisms for the stressors of their job.

Peer support

Creating opportunities for nurses to support each other can help reduce isolation and burnout.

Managerial support

Having supportive managers who understand the challenges of your job and what they can do to support their staff.

Healthcare professionals experiencing burnout may exhibit various signs, including emotional exhaustion, low sense of accomplishment, negative job-related thoughts, cynicism toward patients and colleagues, or. feelings of isolation.

Ways to heal

The long hours of a medical shift can also lead to exhaustion physically, perhaps along with headaches or nausea. When you notice these symptoms, that is good. You are now in a place to heal from burnout, and going forward prevent it from becoming a major issue at work.

Boundaries are valuable

Your time and energy are the greatest resources you have. Setting personal boundaries around these helps prevent burnout. Patients don’t need access to you 24/7. Keep your phone number and other personal details to yourself. You don’t need to be available outside of your contracted hours for your job.

Protect your days off and take your PTO

Ensure you take time off regularly, use acquired time off, and take vacations. Be selective about covering shifts for others.

Engage in self-care

You should engage in activities that you find enjoyable and relaxing. From a bubble bath to exercise to reading to crafts. Find hobbies outside of work that fill you with joy and satisfaction.

Build a strong support network

Talk to friends, family, therapists, or supervisors to feel supported and cope with stress. Your supervisor can help you create boundaries in your job, and protect your time off. A therapist is there to talk about the ways your job is stressful. Caring family and friends can help you blow off steam, find joy outside your job, and maybe be a shoulder to cry on from time to time.

Christian counseling for nurse burnout

Nurses are at high risk for burnout because of the physical, emotional, and mental demands of their job. If you struggling with burnout, there are still plenty of ways to recover and feel joy in your job. By talking to a counselor in Laguna, California, you can take steps to recover from burnout. Call our office today at Laguna Christian Counseling to set up an appointment so you can revive the compassionate heart that led you to become a nurse.