Can ‘recharge rooms’ help frontline workers avoid pandemic burnout?

Hospitals are testing a new nature-inspired take on the staff lounge. The good news for the rest of us: We can try it at home.

A Parallel Pandemic Hits Health Care Workers: Trauma and Exhaustion

Vaccines may be on the way, but many on the front lines are burned out. Has the government done enough to help alleviate their stress?

Burnout Among Healthcare Workers in the COVID 19 Era: A Review of the Existing Literature

In the current period of global public health crisis due to the COVID-19, healthcare workers are more exposed to physical and mental exhaustion – burnout – for the torment of difficult decisions, the pain of losing patients and colleagues, and the risk of infection, for themselves and their families. The very high number of cases and deaths, and the probable future “waves” raise awareness of these challenging working conditions and the need to address burnout by identifying possible solutions.

Burnout in healthcare staff is common – and can make empathising with patients difficult

Burnout happens for a range of reasons, including high-pressure workplaces, lack of support, poor work-life balance or feeling a lack of control over, overwhelmed by, or in conflict with the work itself. Not surprisingly, research shows that as either empathy or burnout increases, the other one decreases – that is, they are negatively associated to each other.

Burnout in Hospital-Based Healthcare Workers during COVID-19

Burnout is an occupational hazard in healthcare, which harms the healthcare system, patients, and healthcare workers. In the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout has increased to levels that pose a threat to maintaining a functioning healthcare workforce. Elevated burnout and other indicators of stress are anticipated to persist long after the pandemic.

By Now, Burnout Is a Given

The pandemic has stripped our emotional reserves even further, laying bare our unique physical, social, and emotional vulnerabilities.

Doctors and Nurses Are Traumatized and Burned Out. I Should Know: I’m Treating Them

There’s always been high burnout among nurses and physicians. The rates of suicide has always been twice the rate of the general population. My concern is that those numbers are going to drastically increase.

Fix Burnout—Without Blowing Up Your Life

After an intense 20 months of pandemic work and life, many are reaching a breaking point. Here’s how to retake control.

Frontline Health Care Workers Aren’t Feeling the ‘Summer of Joy’

Doctors and nurses are reeling from new Covid cases, staff burnout and the prolonged stress of dealing with the pandemic.

Health care workers aren’t just “heroes.” We’re also scared and exposed

We choke down our emotions just to do our jobs. Because that’s what doctors are supposed to do.

Health care workers’ suffering goes far beyond burnout. Self-care isn’t the cure

Our caseloads grew, and we worried about bringing Covid-19 home from the hospital and infecting vulnerable family members. Encouraged to engage in self-care, we walked and connected with colleagues. Eventually the pandemic took its toll, causing burnout, insomnia, anxiety, and grief. Mounting evidence shows we aren’t alone.

Health workers know what good care is. Pandemic burnout is getting in the way

Many health care workers surveyed say they feel burnt out and that is impacting patient care. The prolonged battle against COVID-19 has left many doctors, nurses, medical assistants, respiratory therapists and others on the front lines of care exhausted and overwhelmed, fueling greater levels of burnout that were already high. The advent of vaccines against the coronavirus sparked hope of a return to normal — only to be dashed by the latest surge of cases, driven primarily by people who aren't vaccinated.

High rates of COVID-19 burnout could lead to shortage of health-care workers

During the pandemic’s third wave, researchers interviewed nurses to see how their perceptions had changed over the preceding year. Early in the pandemic, nurses had reported optimism about supporting one another through the pandemic, but by the third wave, this had been replaced by anger and exhaustion.

Medical burnout: Breaking bad

As the threat of COVID-19 wanes, health care workers are burned out and suffering. Here’s what one surgeon thinks should be done.

Nursing Homes Keep Losing Workers

Employment has continued to fall as job losses in other sectors reverse; low wages, burnout and fear of Covid-19 keep staff away.

Omicron magnifies the distress in the health care labor system

Health care institutions have struggled to manage the mental health and morale of their workers. Banners and mugs affirming resilience do little to address the mass exodus of workers, or the complexities introduced when veteran ICU workers depart.

The Toll Of Burnout On Medical Workers — And Their Patients

Burnout has long been a problem among health care workers. The pandemic has only made it worse. Some were hopeful COVID vaccines would provide some relief, but that hasn't been the case. Now, health care workers are leaving the industry — and they're taking their expertise with them.

Two Years Into Pandemic, Healthcare Staff Shortages and Burnout Reign

As we stretch into year three of the pandemic, and as new variants emerge and take their toll, the “new normal” we were so desperately searching for in 2020 has remained out of reach – especially for healthcare workers.

Why Health-Care Workers Are Quitting in Droves

About one in five health-care workers has left their job since the pandemic started. This is their story—and the story of those left behind.

Why It's Hard To Gauge How Workers' Burnout Is Affecting Patient Care

The pandemic has left doctors, nurses and other health workers exhausted and overwhelmed. But drawing a direct line between burnout and a bad patient outcome isn't easy to do.

Why the US nursing crisis is getting worse

Burnout, vaccine hesitancy, and plum traveling gigs are making it harder for hospitals to hire the nurses they need.

Why your doctor may be quilting and your nurse may have a podcast

Many hospitals are seeing a surge of new COVID-19 patients, which means longer hours, increased anxiety and burnout among health care workers. Comic artist and physician Dr. Grace Farris asked fellow doctors, nurses and others in medicine how they are coping with the prolonged stress. Many say their creative outlets provide solace and community to help them through.