How to Confront Burnout in Healthcare (and the rest of your life)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Shane Elmore for writing today's blog post. Shane served as Pulsara's Vice President for Clinical Innovation and Development from 2013-2022. You can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

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One of the most challenging things about working in a high-stress environment like a hospital is dealing with burnout. If you've been in healthcare for more than a day, you've probably met a nurse, doctor, or ancillary staff member who, for one reason or another, needs an attitude adjustment. If you've been doing it for more than two years, you have probably even been that person at some point. When it comes to burnout, it's usually easier for us to spot it in others long before we can see it in ourselves. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can employ to manage and reverse burnout. 

Working for a fantastic company like Pulsara, we have the privilege of working with some incredible and inspiring organizations who employ only the best people. Even so, there is always the one person who seems frustrated at us for introducing something new and different into their processes -- even if what they're currently doing isn't working. Usually it just so happens that this person is also one who his colleagues describe as "burned out."

We have all had to work around these people in our careers. Most of us tell ourselves that we will never be that way, and that is where we get in trouble. When we tell ourselves that we will never be like that, we unintentionally set up blind spots in our lives. Are you cynical or skeptical at work? Do you feel like your employer owes you something? Awareness is the best gift you can give yourself, and in healthcare it can even save a life. Do yourself a favor and check in regularly -- and if you notice these attitudes in yourself, there are some simple steps you can take to remedy the problem.

1. Renew- Broaden your horizons! It's a big world out there and learning more about it helps to see how you've been thinking small. Invest in yourself with educational opportunities. Renewal has always worked for me in two ways: renewing my mind helps pull me out of the negative mindset, and if I do it often, I'm able to keep from going there in the first place.

2. Remember- Why are you doing what you do? I don't know if there is a more important question you can ask yourself on a regular basis. We focus too much on the who, what, when, where, how... These are all meaningless questions if you don't have your eye on the why.  If you lose sight of your why, everything else will seem trivial ... and when that happens, there's no faster route to burnout. 

3. Repeat- What are the things you did when you first started in your career? Which of them worked to propel you to success? What are the repeatable acts that you did in your early years that helped you find this passion in the first place? These things are usually simple and easy to forget.

4. Reinvest- Giving back is a great way to get your mojo back. I love working with nursing students; they are so full of life and energy that I find the investment well worth it. Something about the excited novice is contagious and rekindles a fire that is close to burning out. There are people all around you who need what you have, but you must be willing to give it.

Finally, If you try the four R's above and they do nothing for you, it’s possible that you are in the wrong profession. I don’t care how long you’ve been doing it, you’re better off making a switch to something you have a passion for. Find a place and a profession where you can breathe life and energy into the environment around you. You'll thank yourself later.