Burnout In Nursing Essay

Abstract

Burnout affects many of the nurses these days. There are many factors that contribute to a burnout. Sometimes people do not even realize that they are heading towards a burnout. In this research paper it talks about the negative consequences of a burnout in nursing. For example, it can lead to a decreased immune system that will make the body vulnerable to colds and flus (Smith, M., Segal, J., Robinson, L., & Segal, R. June, 2016). It also talks about the risk factors like the age and their gender because these associate with burnout. Another one that will be mentioned is recommendations for burnout nurses. This includes eating a healthy diet, exercising, seeking support, reevaluating priorities, and changing the way people look

Some include alienating themselves from everyone else, utilization of drugs or food to cope with things, taking a while to actually get things done, taking out frustrations on other people, or skipping work/school. According to an article by Charanjit Singh, gender, level of qualification, and age contributes to the risk factors of burnout (Singh, 2011). A nurse does not become burnt out easily, it’s a process and as it gradually becomes worse then it will lead to a burnout (Smith, M., Segal, J., Robinson, L., & Segal, R. June, 2016).

Negative Consequences

Nurses who are often suffering from burnout typically have a lower quality of life. There are indeed consequences to a burnout. Some consequences can lead to cardiovascular problems. Burnout can lead to changes in the body. Those changes lead to negative consequences, which can decrease immunity and make the body vulnerable to the common cold and flu (Smith, M., Segal, J., Robinson, L., & Segal, R. June, 2016).

Recommendations

There are several ways to prevent a burnout. The first recommendation is to seek social support. This means that a nurse should reach out to someone who is willing to listen and will not judge them. “Social contact is nature’s antidote to stress (Smith, M., Segal, J., Robinson, L., & Segal, R. June,

This is better because only having professional judgment is not enough, but if they changed it with set rules and protocols then everyone must abide by them. Another quality improvement is decreasing nurse to patient ratio (Izumi, 2012).

This is important because a nurse can only render care to so many patients. If a nurse had more than what she can provide care, then he/she would be burnt out. A last one would be expanding admissions to nursing schools to increase the workforce. This is also important because if a hospital was short staffed, then there will be increased mortality (Izumi, 2012).

Evidence Based Practice According to an article that was published on June 6, 2013, it stated that the “Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offered evidence that nurse-to-patient ratio links with patient outcomes (Wagner, 2013)”. The hospitals would need to fix the situation by having staffing standards. The nurses need to be staffed sufficiently to avoid nursing burnout, because when a nurse is burnt out, then the patients will also be affected. The nurses would also need their time off to rest, so that they can function properly in the hospital (Wagner, 2013).

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