| Helping professionals have a high risk of burnout. | | | | Helping professionals must learn to take care of |
| This is due to the intensity, significant | | | | themselves; this is much easier to say then do! |
| responsibility, lack of control and decision making | | | | Although there are more men in the helping |
| powers, and a culture that has unrealistic | | | | professions today, in nursing the vast majority |
| expectations of nurturing and self-sacrifice from | | | | are still women. Womens' sense of self is often |
| helpers. | | | | one of caretaker and nurturer, and our society |
| Burnout is defined as physical and emotion | | | | perpetuates this view. Nurturing and care taking |
| depletion caused by an intense involvement in a | | | | have long been associated with women in general |
| situation in which the person has little control and | | | | and nurses in particular. Empathy is a mainstay of |
| recognition. Burnout is most likely to occur in | | | | the helping professions, particularly the "womens' |
| situations where an individual perceives little effect | | | | professions" such as nursing and social work. |
| from his or her efforts. Burnout can be caused | | | | Nurturance has historically been intertwined with, |
| by unrealistic expectations and demands from an | | | | and seen as a major function of nursing. Nursing |
| outside source, or from idealistic goals, | | | | has been called the "practice of professional |
| perfectionism and unreasonable expectations of | | | | nurturing". |
| oneself. | | | | When a woman must choose between caring for |
| Common Symptoms of Burnout | | | | herself and caring for another, social pressure |
| Those working in a high stress environment may | | | | fosters the choice of nurturing of others. Women |
| experience many of the warning signs of burnout. | | | | often experiences conflict when faced with what |
| Some of the most common symptoms are: | | | | may seem like a continual choice of caring for |
| - Increased absenteeism | | | | others or caring for themselves. It is not unusual |
| - Avoiding or rushing through patient care | | | | for women to have difficulty saying no or setting |
| - Rigid rules and "by the book" approaches | | | | limits thus end up doing more than they really |
| - Dehumanizing patients | | | | want to. They frequently nurture everyone but |
| - Anger and emotional outbursts | | | | themselves consequential feeling conflicted, |
| - Increasingly cynical attitudes | | | | unappreciated, resentful, and burned out. As |
| - Boredom | | | | women, nurses already struggle with these issues, |
| - Stress from work interfering in social and family | | | | which are then further exacerbated by the |
| relationship | | | | nursing role of nurturer. |
| - Physical symptoms of stress such as headaches | | | | Some important reminders for all those in the |
| sleep disturbance and tiredness. | | | | helping professions are: |
| Organizational Steps For Prevention of Burnout | | | | - Take care of you, it will relieve some of your |
| The system itself is often not conducive to | | | | stress and allow you to better take care of |
| self-care. Administrators and supervisors don't | | | | others |
| always recognize or concern themselves with the | | | | - Learn and use self-empathy and self-nurturing |
| level of stress experienced by nurses. They are | | | | techniques |
| often under tremendous pressure themselves. If | | | | - Try understanding and treating yourself with the |
| you are lucky enough to have a supervisor | | | | same care you give your patients |
| administrator who is concerned with the needs of | | | | - Allow yourself to say no, offer alternatives, or |
| the nursing staff, here are some suggestions that | | | | even avoid situations if you feel unable to say no |
| they might consider adopting to support the staff. | | | | - Increase your self-awareness |
| - Rotate staff as much as possible in order to | | | | - Plan for a routine to help ease the transition |
| distribute difficult patients and assignments | | | | from work to home. (Do not use alcohol to |
| - Include staff in discussions of rotations, and | | | | unwind) |
| stress reliever suggestions | | | | - Do not expect all your feelings of self-esteem |
| - Build group cohesiveness by regular trainings, | | | | to come from your profession. |
| discussions, in-services | | | | - Develop outside interests that have nothing to |
| - Let staff suggest topics | | | | do with helping others! |
| - Encourage peer support | | | | - Try to avoid over-identification with patients |
| - Offer recognition for success, and excellence | | | | - Recognize and allow your own feelings |
| - Vary professional responsibilities | | | | - Develop relationships outside of work where |
| - A monthly newsletter with updates and kudos is | | | | you can talk about your feelings |
| always appreciated | | | | - Practice stress reduction techniques (exercise, |
| - Let staff know it is all right to ask for a "stress | | | | relaxation, meditation, distraction) |
| break" | | | | - Plan for regular breaks, conferences, and |
| - Watch for signs of significant stress in staff, and | | | | vacations |
| offer them help. | | | | - Talk with colleagues to not only complain, but |
| Asking for and accepting help must be part of the | | | | also to also make plans for burnout prevention, |
| culture within the organization. Admitting to being | | | | take charge where you can |
| stressed must be accepted and not viewed as a | | | | - Know when to say "enough", consider transfer if |
| sign of weakness. It takes time to build the | | | | necessary |
| attitude required for this level of openness to | | | | Burnout can and must be prevented. Recognition |
| occur. Although administrators at first might see | | | | of your own level of stress and self-care are the |
| these suggestions as daunting, they will soon see | | | | keys to stress reduction and burnout prevention. |
| their efforts rewarded with lower staff turnover, | | | | When self-care is a priority, helping others can be |
| fewer days of absenteeism, a more productive | | | | the rewarding successful career it is meant to be. |
| and satisfied staff, and improved patient care. | | | | Burnout can also have an unexpected positive |
| Helping Ourselves Prevent Burnout | | | | influence in your life; it can act as a catalyst to |
| If you work in a situation where support from | | | | make a much-needed change. It can be the |
| administration is not forthcoming, you must do | | | | impetus to move on to different more rewarding |
| what you can both as an individual and with your | | | | careers. Caregivers in search of something more |
| colleagues to prevent burnout. In situations where | | | | have become entrepreneurs (the writer included) |
| administrative support is lacking, there is often a | | | | and have developed many ways of working as a |
| high turnover of staff. This creates increased | | | | helper that allow them more reward both financial |
| responsibility and more stress on the remaining | | | | and personal, and more control over their careers |
| helpers. It makes it more difficult to build a | | | | and their lives. |
| supportive cohesive group, and increases staff | | | | TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!! |
| burnout. | | | | |