Preventing burnout
Thank you for addressing severe burnout syndrome (BOS) in a recent issue ("Critical Care Nursing: Call for Action Aims to Combat Burnout," Clinical Rounds, October 2016). BOS is an epidemic in not only critical care nursing, but all nursing areas. As nurse-patient ratios change and resources decrease, more and more nurses are experiencing symptoms of burnout. Emotional exhaustion, lack of personal accomplishment, and depersonalization all affect nurses, their patients, and their patients' families. If up to 86% of critical care nurses experience at least one of these symptoms as stated in the article, I'd like to see a more in-depth article focused on this important professional issue.
In response to the crisis facing today's nurses, what are organizations doing to support nurses before they develop BOS? The consequences-increased turnover, decreased patient satisfaction and quality of care, more errors, and possibly increased mortality-affect healthcare organizations all over the country.
Frontline nurses drive so many initiatives, promote evidence-based practices, provide the data for research, touch lives, and keep organizations open and able to provide care to the communities they serve. But who is caring for them?
Managers and administrators should take notice of the need to care for the caregivers in an effort to reduce nursing vacancies due to burnout and increase patient satisfaction and perception of quality care.
-RACHEL MILLER, BSN, RN, CCRN
Kyle, Tex.
Navigating an unfamiliar unit
I'm responding to "Help...I'm Lost: Navigating an Unfamiliar Clinical Area" (Legal Matters, July 2016). I was relieved to know that I'm not alone in feeling lost when working on unfamiliar units. Nurses and other clinical staff need to know that there are leaders in the workplace such as a charge nurse or supervisor, whom they can approach for help when feeling lost.
I've been pulled to many other units and learned how to ask for help. When time allows, I also try to familiarize myself with the unit as much as I can. If I know any other nurses working in the unfamiliar unit, I ask them to show me the ins and outs of what typically goes on and who's who on the unit.
We all need to support one another. So, ask for help, stand up for yourself, and, most of all, take care of your patients!
-SHERRY MOSS, RN, BSN STUDENT
Henderson, N.C.