USA: Job burnout threatens health care workforce

The U.S. is facing high levels of burnout among health care workers, which could lead to serious shortcomings in patient care, a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General has found.

Burnout among health care workers was a serious problem even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the stress caused by the ongoing pandemic has made things much worse, said Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

“The pandemic has accelerated the mental health and burnout crisis that is now affecting not only health workers, but the communities they serve,” Murthy said.

“Already, Americans are feeling the impact of staffing shortages across the health system in hospitals, primary care clinics, and public health departments. As the burnout and mental health crisis among health workers worsens, this will affect the public’s ability to get routine preventive care, emergency care, and medical procedures. It will make it harder for our nation to ensure we are ready for the next public health emergency. Health disparities will worsen as those who have always been marginalized suffer more in a world where care is scarce. Costs will continue to rise.”

The report calls for several steps to address the burdens on health care workers. These include:

• Protecting the health, safety, and well-being of all health workers by ensuring they have proper equipment, training, and are protected against workplace violence.
• Eliminating punitive policies for seeking mental health and substance abuse care.
• Reducing administrative and documentation burdens and improving health information technology and payment models.
• Prioritising health worker well-being on an organizational level—this includes providing competitive wages, paid sick and family leave, rest breaks, educational debt support, and other steps to ease the burden on health workers.

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Source: BenefitsPro, 6 June 2022