Healthcare organizations have a responsibility to address the problem of nurse burnout, and one of the methods of doing so is fostering resilient environments and employees, according to The Joint Commission.
Burnout is a patient safety issue, The Joint Commission says, because it damages the physical and emotional health of staff and increases costs.
Five things to know about The Joint Commission's report:
1. The Joint Commission defines resilience as "the process of personal protection from burnout." Some of the most common factors contributing to burnout are lack of decision-making power, lack of autonomy, safety risks and staffing issues.
2. A 2010 study identified eight factors impacting nurse resilience: experience, job satisfaction, positive thinking, the feeling of making a difference, leadership strategies, social support, the ability to recognize stressors, and work-life balance.
3. Burnout interventions increase employee retention and patient satisfaction. Leadership is a key factor in these interventions, which reduce and eliminate barriers to nursing workflow.
4. To empower employees and foster resilience, leaders can include employees in the decision-making process; develop action plans to address employees' security concerns; demonstrate confidence in employees' abilities; and provide employees with autonomy, among other strategies.
5. Leaders can also monitor nurses' well-being by measuring it, implementing interventions and then remeasuring it.