The World Health Organization defines burnout as “an occupational phenomenon created from chronic workplace stress that has not been managed effectively” (Wickstrom, 2023). A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that nurse burnout is on the rise with significantly more nurses reporting burnout in 2022 when compared to 2018 (CDC, 2023). The COVID-19 pandemic has been responsible for added stress and nursing burnout, exacerbating staffing shortages. The study revealed that nearly 1 in 4 U.S. essential workers (including health-care workers) received a mental health diagnosis since the onset of the pandemic (APA, 2021). 

Burnout can cause nurses to feel physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from job stressors and greatly impacts mental health and well-being. Risk factors for burnout include younger age, lack of social support, working in high-stress/high-risk environments, and working in hospitals with lack of supplies and resources (Wickstrom, 2023). Nurse burnout worsened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, however it was present long before its arrival. The pandemic presented extraordinary challenges and fears for health-care workers.

A study published in JAMA Health Forum identified top interventions to address nurse burnout. These include breaks without interruption, improving multidisciplinary communication, increased control over scheduling, reducing time spent on documentation, creating a time and place for meditation and reflection, and improving electronic health records systems (Aiken et al., 2023).

Tips to manage stress

Some tips and techniques to manage stress include:

• Maintain a structured routine to help reduce anxiety.
• Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet.
• Maintain healthy sleep habits to help reduce anxiety and depression.
• Exercise regularly.
• Develop a healthy support system inside and outside of the workplace.
• Prioritize self-care.

What other strategies do you use to manage stress?

References:

Aiken, L. H., Lasater, K. B., Sloane, D. M., Pogue, C. A., Fitzpatrick Rosenbaum, K. E., Muir, K. J., McHugh, M. D., & US Clinician Wellbeing Study Consortium (2023). Physician and Nurse Well-Being and Preferred Interventions to Address Burnout in Hospital Practice: Factors Associated With Turnover, Outcomes, and Patient Safety. JAMA health forum, 4(7), e231809. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.1809

American Psychological Association (APA). (2021, March 11). Essential workers more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder during pandemic. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2021. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/one-year-pandemic-stress-essential#

Morris, G. (2023, September 19). How to manage stress as a nurse. Nurse Journal. https://nursejournal.org/articles/how-to-manage-stress/

Nigam, J., Barker, M., Cunningham, T., Swanson, N., & Chosewood, C. (2023, November 3). Vital Signs: Health Worker–Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health — Quality of Worklife Survey, United States, 2018–2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7244e1.htm

Wickstrom, A. (2023, November 13). CDC: Burnout keeps rising for nurses and other health care workers. Nurse Journal. https://nursejournal.org/articles/cdc-nurse-healthcare-worker-burnout/

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