Nurse Burnout What We Can Do To Make A Change

1. Nurse Burnout � What We Can Do To Make A Change By Gurmeet Shergill and Nicolette Rivera

2. What is Burnout?? Burnout occurs when a person endures major stress and has difficulty coping (Medi-Smart 2006). According to time management guide.com (2005), symptoms of burnout can be physical or emotional in nature.

3. How do you know you�re experiencing burnout (physical and emotional symptoms)?? Physical symptoms can include high blood pressure, headaches, chronic fatigue, sleeping problems, frequent colds, GI problems, muscle aches, and sudden weight gain or loss. Emotional symptoms can include prolonged feelings of depression, frustration, anger, negativity, cynicism, high irritability, apathy, and lack of interest. Altum (2002) and Patrick & Lavery (2006) states burnout of professional nurses is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, feelings of depersonalization is when nurses develop negative cynical attitudes and feelings about one�s clients, and low productivity

4. WHO IS AFFECTED BY BURNOUT??

5. Registered Nurses Patients Tax Paying Public

6. Effects of Burnout on the Registered Nurse High stress + verbal abuse = horizontal violence Physical and emotional illnesses Increased absenteeism Increase in errors in nursing decision making Decrease of team work and group cohesiveness

7. Effects of Burnout on the Tax Paying Public and Patients Increased time at the hospital Higher morbidity rate Increased falls, complaints, infections, pressure sores and longer hospital stays Increased medication errors

8. WHY NURSES ARE BURNING OUT??

9. Nursing Shortage Government Funding Cuts and Changes in the Health Care System Lack of Respect and Power

10. Nursing Shortage Aging workforce The shortage is being caused by a number of reasons; the most influential cause being that a great number of nurses are retiring or are soon to retire. Statistics collected in 2005 showed that 53% of the nursing population was 45 years old or older. 10.1% of nurses employed in 2005 were 30 years of age or younger. 44.7 years was the average age of nurses in 2005. 43.3 years was the average age of nurses in 2000.

11. Government Cuts Federal/provincial funding has decreased within the last few decades. In 2003, thirty percent of the health care budget was spent on hospitals; where as in 1975, forty five percent was spent on hospitals (CBC, 2004). Increased hospital admissions = Lack of Space and Lack of beds = Hallway Nursing The budget cuts have lead to the closure of beds and hospitals. Cuts were made to health care support staff, such as cleaning staff and other health care services (Charron, 2004).

12. Government Cuts and Changes in the Health Care System The cuts have increased the responsibilities of nurses, cut to nurses� supports, and increased stress levels (CBC, 2007) Nurses are placed in situations where they are to try to deliver quality care without adequate supplies and services (Charron, 2004)

13. Lack of Respect and Power Image of nursing portrayed by the media The major culprit is the media. The profession is falsely depicted because nurses are usually displayed as stereotypes by the media. The media portrays nurses as less knowledgeable, female, governed by doctors, and subordinate (The Center for Nurse Advocacy, 2006). The nursing profession is still 95% female and therefore helps support the stereotypes.

14. WHAT CAN WE DO TO COMBAT NURSE BURNOUT??

15. Solutions to combat nurse burnout Nursing Shortage The government can make postponing retirement a more attractive option for the aging nursing population The government can also help with the cost of training nurses and therefore give incentive to enter the profession. Student grants can be awarded to students who prove to successful in the nursing program. To increase the number of nurses in Canada, the government can offer more seats in schools to train international nurses to work in Canada. Incentives can be given attract more international nurses to work in Canada. The government can help people to immigrate and set up programs to help people adjust to a new life in Canada.

16. Solutions to Combat Nurse Burnout Government Cuts nurses take active roles lobbying to the government to show how the funding cuts caused the deterioration of the health care system and jeopardizes the health of patients. Health care representatives, such as the Hospital Employee�s Union (HEU) and the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC), can conduct research studies that produces evidence regarding how the decreased health care funding has affected the state of the health care system. The reports can raise awarness about how the funding has affected the health of health care professionals. The reports can influence the government to increase funding for the health care system and therefore alleviating burnout.

17. Solutions to Combat Nurse Burnout Increase respect and a positive image of nursing by increasing the media�s involvement Nurses can use the media to educate the public about their work and send positive messages regarding the profession to overshadow the negative publicity. Nurses can change the perception of the public by portraying nurses as non-stereotypical characters on television shows, movies commercial, etc (Medscape, 2007).

18. Solutions to Combat Nurse Burnout Awareness from the BCNU and the CRNBC will help them reflect on how it affects them, their colleagues, and their patients. the BCNU makes looks after the health and workplace environments of the nurses, it is applicable to present the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual effects of burnout on the health of the nurse make suggestions on how to make a change on how to solve the nursing shortage. Since the CRNBC and the government of British Columbia are protecting the health of the public it is applicable to present the issue of nursing burnout to CRNBC and the government of British Columbia because the issue causes an adverse effect on the patient�s health such as poor quality care by the nurses, and how the nursing shortage affects the registered nurses, and the public

19. WHAT CAN A NURSE DO TO COMBAT BURNOUT??

20. Combat Nurse Burnout Keep an open communication with managers and other colleagues Stand up for your individual rights Take care of your own health

21. References Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (2005). Evaluation of Patient Safety and Nurse Staffing. Retrieved October 18, 2007 from http://www.chsrf.ca/research_themes/pdf/NSPS_researcher_synthesis_e.pdf Canadian Nurses Association (2006). 2005 Workforce Profile of Registered Nurses in Canada. Retrieved October 20, 2007 from http://www.cna-aiic.ca/CNA/nursing/statistics/2002highlights/default_e.aspx Canadian Nurses Association (2007). The Nursing Shortage - The Nursing Workforce. Retrieved October 20, 2007 from http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/issues/hhr/default_e.aspx CBC news (2004). Price of care. Retrieved on October 17, 2007 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/healthcare/priceofcare.html CBC news (2007). Nursing shortage a global problem, convention told. Retrieved October 13, 2007 from http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/06/06/nursing-shortages.html CBC news (2007). Taking the pulse of Canada's nurses. Retrieved October 17, 2007 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/healthcare/nurses.html Charron, G. (2004). Canada: budget cuts have contributed to spread of super-bug. Retrieved October 14, 2007 from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/aug2004/bug-a30.shtml College of Registered Nurses of B.C (2007). About Us. Retrieved October 25, 2007 from http://www.crnbc.ca/downloads/404.pdf

22. References Kaminski, J. (n.d). The Change Process and Selected Theories. Retrieved October 13, 2007 from http://www.nursing-informatics.com/N4111/LA1.html Kondro, W. (2007). The hazards of nursing. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 176 (4), pages 1-1. Retrieved October 16, 2007 from http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/176/4/437?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=nursing+shortage+2007&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT Medi-Smart (2006). Stress and Nursing Burnout Management. Retrieved October 21, 2007 from http://medi-smart.com/stress.htm Medscape (2007). Historical Review of Nurses' Power over Nursing Practice. Retrieved October 20, 2007 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/553403_3 Time-Management-Guide.com (2005). Burnout Symptoms. Retrieved October 13, 2007 from http://www.time-management-guide.com/burnout-symptoms.html Wikipedia (2007). Kurt Lewin. Retrieved October 13, (2007) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin