Jacob Kupietzky, president of HealthCare Transformation, is dedicated to providing hospitals with experienced interim executives to help address the burnout, stress, and mental taxation experienced by healthcare workers. Nearly half of healthcare workers reported feeling burned out in 2022, with 86% feeling overworked and two-thirds considering changing their career path. The healthcare system that we rely on for our well-being is deteriorating the well-being of healthcare workers, from staffing shortages to supply chain issues.
Healthcare leaders need to be proactive in fully understanding and addressing employee burnout before it results in a deeper crisis. The implications of burnout are severe, leading to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression, distrust at work, hindered productivity, fatigue, irritability, sleep issues, and lower immune health. This can result in chronic issues that persist even after the employee leaves the environment causing the burnout, affecting employee retention, morale, and patient experiences.
As leaders, it is important to identify and address the signs of burnout early on. Tactics such as knowing your people, prioritizing well-being, showing appreciation, establishing workplace support systems, fostering connection, and encouraging feedback can help in addressing burnout. By understanding and addressing burnout, leaders can create a culture shift where employees feel cared for and supported in their complete well-being, leading to better mental and physical health, productivity, and overall well-being.
Healthcare leaders have a responsibility to take care of the employees they serve by addressing burnout and creating a supportive work environment. When employees feel that their work environment cares about their well-being, they are better able to avoid burnout, navigate it successfully, and thrive both personally and professionally. By taking steps to address burnout and create a supportive workplace culture, leaders can help healthcare workers overcome the challenges they face and improve overall well-being in the healthcare industry.
