Burnout is contributing to a potential mass loss of workforce for the healthcare industry, with 25% of clinicians considering switching careers.
That’s according to a recent survey from Bain and Company, which revealed some alarming trends about the treatment of U.S. healthcare workers. Clinicians have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced numerous challenges over the past few years. Many feel they are at their breaking point amid acuity and medical uncertainty, financial struggles within healthcare institutions and mounting labor challenges.
While 25% of clinicians indicated on the survey they are considering switching careers, another third noted they are considering switching employers. Burnout (89%) was the most highly cited reason for switching, followed by personal health and safety (41%), family or friends’ health and safety (27%), financial security (25%) and other (10%).
Of note to employers, around 40% of clinicians said they don’t have the resources they need to operate at full potential. Plus, 59% don’t believe their teams are adequately staffed, with many citing lack of effective processes and workflows, supplies and equipment. These frustrations are playing out with clinicians doing more with less––contributing to overall feelings of burnout.
A whopping 63% of clinicians said they feel worn out at the end of a work day, more than half (51%) said they feel they don’t have the time and energy for friends and family during leisure time and 38% feel exhausted in the morning at the thought of another day at work. Around half of physicians, advanced nurse practitioner and nurses said their mental health has declined since the start of the pandemic.
The high rate of burnout should worry employers, which are likely to see rising turnover as a result.
“Amid skyrocketing turnover rates, the potential resignation of a quarter of the workforce would further exacerbate the tight labor market, which is already on track to be short 38,000 to 124,000 physicians by 2034, according to the AAMC,” the survey stated.
As such, mitigating clinician burnout should be a top priority for healthcare organizations. In the short term, healthcare organizations should assess and address the wellbeing of their clinicians. In the long term, investing in technology and people can help ease some of the rising administrative burdens that are contributing to workforce burnout.
“Several available tools promise to reduce clinicians’ manual tasks and remove obstacles to productivity,” Bain and Company noted.
Another long-term solution is to redesign the clinical operating model. Alleviating workloads will help clinicians spend more time working at the top of their licenses, and adding multidisciplinary teams can address compromised productivity and fatigue. Overall, healthcare organizations need to engage with their clinicians on these solutions, as simply getting them involved and having their voices heard can make a big difference.
“Highly engaged employees are crucial to delivering the differentiated customer experience that healthcare providers need to attract and retain patients in today’s highly competitive market,” the survey found. “Bain research shows there’s a virtuous cycle between employee satisfaction and customer advocacy. Enthusiastic, loyal employees provide better experiences for customers, approach the job with a productive energy, and come up with creative service improvements.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."