Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on Sept. 7, 2023.
At PE GI Solutions, the well-being of our patients and our community of partners and staff is our top priority. A healthy and supported team enables us to deliver high-quality care. However, physicians across the healthcare industry continue to experience the symptoms of burnout and other mental health troubles.
However, physicians across the healthcare industry continue to report experiencing mental struggles related to job requirements and the daily stress associated with their work. Of these struggles, many have reported burnout as one of the major factors. Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged exposure to stress and excessive work demands. It significantly impacts individuals’ well-being, job satisfaction, and overall productivity. Recognizing the severity of burnout, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized it as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ in 2019. Burnout is a gradual process, and actively reducing stress can prevent a major breakdown.
Understanding Burnout
Burnout is often caused by chronic stress. When individuals consistently face overwhelming workloads, tight deadlines, or a lack of control over their work, stress levels can become persistent and unmanageable. Over time, the body and mind struggle to cope with this continuous stress to the point that the person feels exhausted, empty, and unable to cope.
Recognizing the Signs
Physicians should be able to identify the signs of stress in themselves and their colleagues. Common indicators include physical symptoms such as fatigue, high blood pressure or sleep issues, and changes in appetite. Emotionally, individuals may experience changes like irritability, sadness, and anxiety.
Research also shows that cognitive aspects such as difficulty concentrating, reduced decision-making abilities, and interpersonal challenges are signs to watch for. These effects on performance and interpersonal communication can also lead to increased medical errors, placing physicians, practices, and centers at risk for malpractice lawsuits.
Burnout is characterized by three main symptoms: exhaustion, self-isolation from work and family, and reduced performance. Recognizing these signs early can help individuals seek support and address burnout to promote well-being.
Supporting Mental Health
PE GI Solutions remains committed to providing a healthy work environment for all our physicians and teammates. We recommend that our teammates take proactive steps to protect their mental health, including utilizing the below strategies.
Encouraging Open Communication
We prioritize open communication as a cornerstone of our supportive culture. Our partners and staff are encouraged to express their thoughts, opinions, and concerns openly. By fostering an environment where individuals feel safe to share their experiences, we create a sense of trust and reassurance. Regular team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and confidential feedback channels provide avenues for open communication, ensuring that partners and staff feel validated and supported.
Promoting Work-Life Balance
For physicians, maintaining a hectic daily schedule while working to balance relationships with families and friends, hobbies, and exercise can be a struggle. However, ensuring that you take appropriate time away from work to unwind and decompress can ensure you are providing the highest quality care possible. PE GI Solutions emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and taking time for self-care. We encourage partners and staff to schedule regular breaks, vacations, and personal days to recharge and reconnect with their passions outside of work. By promoting work-life balance, we empower individuals to prioritize their physical and mental well-being, leading to increased job satisfaction, reduced burnout, and improved overall productivity.
Outside Resources & Activities
Resources outside of the workplace offer a safe space to vent the frustrations that come with working in a fast-paced, dynamic, patient-centric industry. Some common stress outlets include:
Therapy
Therapy offers the ability for you to have private conversations and discuss issues that may arise while gaining a third-party perspective. Unfortunately, a stigma within the healthcare community surrounding seeking treatment has persisted, even following the COVID-19 pandemic. While the national narrative about mental health has seen a positive shift, the healthcare industry remains reluctant, despite the positive impact it can have.
Exercise
Exercise has also proven valuable for physicians. The release of endorphins associated with exercise provides natural stress relief and another safe outlet to release frustrations outside the workplace.
Friends & Family
Quality time away from the office can be a valuable resource to reduce stress. Spending this time with family, friends, or significant others can be an easy way to enjoy oneself and focus on tasks unrelated to work.
Conclusion
By understanding the signs of burnout, encouraging open communication, promoting work-life balance, and taking time away from work to reduce stress levels, physicians can spend the needed time to focus on themselves and continue to provide high-quality care for patients.
This story was published in the October 2023 issue of the PE GI Journal by PE GI Solutions. PE GI Solutions is now a part of SCA Health. To read more from this and past issues of the journal, click here.
