Confronting Health Worker Burnout and Well-Being
“Health worker burnout is a serious threat to the nation’s health and economic security.
Burnout manifests in individuals, but it’s fundamentally rooted in systems. Causes include inadequate support, escalating workloads and administrative burdens, chronic underinvestment in public health infrastructure, and moral injury from being unable to provide the care patients need.
Burnout is not only about long hours. It’s about the fundamental disconnect between health workers and the mission to serve that motivates them.”
Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. proposes six ways to address the crisis of healthcare worker burnout:
1) Protect and value healthcare workers
2) Reduce administrative burden
3) Increase access to mental healthcare
4) Increase public funding to strengthen the health infrastructure of communities
5) Build a culture that supports well-being
6) Eliminate bias and discrimination by promoting a culture of inclusion, equity, and respect.
Read the full NEJM article here.