Essay On Nursing Burnout

Feeling the Burn Nurses working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are exposed to a considerable amount of work related stress. Studies have shown strong correlation between burnout syndrome and ICU healthcare workers. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), burnout is a psychological term that refers to long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in work. Nursing burnout is a condition that some Registered Nurses (RN) experience that shows itself as being fatigued, irritable, suffers from insomnia and poor performance. Nursing burnout can happen to nurses with years of experience, newly graduated RNs and even students in nursing school. As a result of these stressors, the level of patient care can decrease related to poor work performance by ICU RNs due to burnout. Intensive care nurses are particularly vulnerable to developing burnout due to the chronic stressors they are exposed to that include high patient ratios, heavy job
Those who work in the ICU experience high patient acuity, staff shortages, short breaks while at work, insufficient time for task completion, emotional triggers from patients and families, and dealing with advanced technology, all while trying to give the patient the best care possible. “Nurses have long reported that their work conditions are not conductive to providing patient-centered care that is safe and of high quality” (McHugh, Kutney-Lee, Cimiotti, M, & Aiken, 2011, p. 202). This research suggested that the work environment and staff-to-patient ratios for ICU nurses are directly related to the increase in burnout. In addition to work overload, high turnover rate, lack of proper leadership, lack of community among staff, pay rates, management styles, lack of recognition for good work, or high/chaotic environment all contribute to a stressful work