Burnout happens in any job industry, but for healthcare, a
burned out nurse can spell bad news for patients. A staff RN of almost five
years, Theresa Brown explains “It's not like being a waiter, where you have too
many tables, which is stressful, but no one's going to die if they don't get
their entree in time.” Understanding the causes of work-related burnout, ways
to confront it, and what can be done externally for nurses are the beginnings
of addressing this healthcare problem.
Proper
nurse-to-patient ratios – As in any business, the staff must be
proportional to the needs of the clients. The more customers that frequent a
business, the more staff are required. There isn’t a law mandating this, as it
should be considered common sense. However, when it comes to nursing, patient
care and nurse burnout may benefit from mandated ideal nurse-to-patient ratios
to keep nurses from burning out and keep patient care at its highest level.
Maintain safe level
of working hours – Teresa explains again, "Mistakes are more likely once people have worked beyond a
certain number of hours.” High patient loads accompanied with long shifts can
multiply burnout to dangerous levels. When nurses are frustrated, exhausted,
stressed, and worn out it reflects in their work as it would with any other
employee. As Dr. Linda Aiken, co-author of the American Journal for Infection
Control, explains "The more patients that nurses take care of, the more
likely adverse outcomes become." An article from the Huffington post
reports “Fewer RN hours spent per patient per day was also significantly linked
to higher pneumonia rates in post-op patients.” Less time spent per patient can
lead to missed treatments and diagnoses, which is likely to lead to that patient
returning again for the same problems. This means new patients and former
patients snowball onto the burden of nursing staff.
Understaffing doesn’t
save a hospital money, it actually costs more - In a 2009 report, Dr.
Steven Hunt said, "The financial cost of losing a single nurse has been
calculated to equal about twice the nurse's annual salary." For every 1
percent increase of annual nurse turnover, hospitals lose $300,000. Dr. Aiken
put the cost of replacing just one burned out nurse at $65,000, on average, on
top of the salary from the previous nurse. Furthermore, the Huffington Post
reports “AJIC's report estimates that, if nurse burnout rates were reduced to
even 10 percent, Pennsylvanian hospitals could potentially save $41 million
associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infections and surgical site
infections.”
Addressing the
problem – One major obstacle in addressing the nursing burnout rate is the
country’s nursing shortage. Even when hospitals are prepared to hire more RNs
and increase the nurse-to-patient ratio and reduce hours worked, there simply
aren’t enough qualified nurses to fill the positions. Educated RNs are in high
demand for many reasons and make up a fundamental core of healthcare
facilities. Eager LPNs, LVNs, RTs, and Paramedics that are ready to take up the
call and become RNs can’t attend nursing schools in a traditional manner. The
ones that have the experience and patient understanding often have families and
busy schedules that prevent attending classes in person. Rue Education
understands this problem many healthcare professionals face and has helped
nearly 100,000 adult learners earn credit toward their nursing degrees. Rue
Education’s advanced learning systems prepare healthcare professionals to
transition into RNs and support them every step along the way. If you’re ready
to start becoming the RN you’ve always wanted to be, talk to Rue Education
today. www.RueEducation.com
