Nurse burnout is a major widespread problem that is characterized by a decrease in the energy of nurses (Jennings, 2008). It is manifested through emotional exhaustion, reduced motivation, and a feeling of frustration that is likely to cause reduced work efficiency. A nurse who is suffering from a burnout is overwhelmed by work and experiences fatigue. She or she is unable to fulfill the demands of work. Nurse burnout is a problem that needs to be addressed because of its adverse effects on patient safety and outcomes.
Problem Statement
Nurse burnout presents a major threat to the safety of patients. This is because it leads poor association with patients. A nurse who is experiencing burnout is also likely to commit errors that would not occur in the absence of a burnout. Among nurses, burnout minimizes the ability of a nurse to offer care (Canady, 2016). Each day, nurses are faced with the dilemma of showing empathy, sensitivity, and being human in a work setting that is characterized by very many duties and responsibilities. It is therefore essential to identify an effective solution to the burnout problem among nurses.
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Intervention/Solution
Mindfulness has been identified as one of the most effective ways of dealing with nurse burnout. Mindfulness among health care professionals who include nurses has been shown to minimize stress, anxiety, and burnout (Riet et al., 2018). In addition, researchers suggest that the practice enhances resilience. A mindfulness based program has the ability to equip nurses with the skills required to handle clinical stress and enhance their overall health, attention, empathy, patient safety and satisfaction. This in turn would improve patient outcomes.
Conclusion
Nurse burnout affects both nurses and their patients. By studying the problem, an effective way of handling burnout among nurses will be identified, patient outcomes and patient satisfaction improved, and the wellbeing of nurses addressed. Medical errors and other patients’ safety related problems have an increased risk of occurring among nurses who are experiencing burnout. Mindfulness based interventions can help address the problem.
References
Canady, V. A. (2016). Provider burnout, quality of care and patient safety analyzed. Mental Health Weekly, 26 (48), 3-5.
Jennings, B. M. (2008). Work Stress and Burnout among Nurses: Role of the Work Environment and Working Conditions. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2668/ .
Riet, P. V. D., Levett-Jones, T., & Aquino-Russell, C. (2018). The effectiveness of mindfulness meditation for nurses and nursing students: An integrated literature review. Nurse Education Today , 65 , 201–211.
