The operating room is a fast-paced, high-stakes environment where precision, teamwork, and vigilance are non-negotiable. Lives are on the line, every role matters, and every decision can positively or negatively impact patient care. Safe surgical care demands seamless collaboration between surgeons, nurses, techs, and anesthesia providers, so that we can achieve excellent outcomes. And while we are committed to providing safe surgical care, the high-stakes environment we find ourselves in is also physically demanding, emotionally intense, and mentally taxing.
Burnout is real. We face high-stress situations in the OR while juggling multiple responsibilities when we’re chronically short-staffed and under-supported. And eventually, the long hours, high-stakes decision-making, constant vigilance, and the physical demands of surgery all add up and we’re just done.
Honestly, I’m exhausted just writing about how demanding our jobs are… But, this conversation is so important. We have to talk about it. So, how can we recognize the symptoms of burnout in ourselves before we reach the breaking point?
What is Burnout?
Burnout is caused by unmanaged, chronic workplace stress. It can occur in any job or sector, and it’s more than just being tired, although exhaustion is a symptom. Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. When someone is suffering from burnout, there are some common symptoms, including1:
- Mental and physical exhaustion
- Mental distance from the job
- Cynicism about the job
- Reduced efficacy in the workplace
Raise your hand if you can relate to any or all of these symptoms… It’s not that hard to connect the dots between the demanding nature of our jobs and the rate at which we experience burnout.
Current Statistics of Burnout in Nurses
Prior to the pandemic, surveys showed that almost a third of nurses were suffering from burnout. In 2020, the numbers had increased to almost 62%. It was also noted that nurses under 25 were experiencing burnout at a higher rate, with 69% of nurses under 25 reporting experiencing burnout2. Additionally, a study in 2023 revealed that 91% of nurses surveyed experienced Burnout3. And finally, in a study of more than 50,000 American nurses, researchers found that burnout was the leading cause of 74.9% of people leaving their jobs or intending to leave their job.4
But what about operating room nurses specifically? There is limited data, but “the results of a study by Sillero and Zabalegui in Spain showed that operating room nurses suffer from moderate to high burnout. The researchers also stated that the operating room is an unfavorable working environment for nurses and organizational factors play an important role in burnout5.”
Burnout and Mental Health
Unfortunately, burnout doesn’t just stay at work. Instead, it follows us home and can affect every aspect of our lives. Burnout is associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances which all have a negative affect on our ability to function and our ability to cope with and manage stress, while slowly eroding our resilience. Ultimately, everyday challenges can feel overwhelming and impossible.
Burnout and Patient Safety
When we’re not ok, we put our patients at risk. An analysis of over 85 studies on nurse burnout showed that “nurse burnout was associated with a lower patient safety climate and patient safety grade; more nosocomial infections, patient falls, medication errors, and adverse events; lower patient satisfaction ratings; and lower nurse-assessed quality of care6.”
When we’re dealing with burnout, and forcing ourselves to work while being physically and mentally exhausted, we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to struggle with decision making, with critical thinking, and we’re going to increase our risk for errors.
This is a recipe for disaster in the operating room. The stakes are too high and the risks to our patients are too great for us to do anything that risks patient safety, including caring for patients while struggling with burnout.
So How Do We Prevent Nurse Burnout?
The key to preventing burnout lies in awareness. By paying attention to our physical and mental wellbeing and by learning to identify the early warning signs, we can avoid putting ourselves and our patients at risk.
Early warning signs to be aware of include the following:
- Feeling constantly overworked
- Regularly feeling too tired to go to work
- Not looking forward to your job
- Feeling unappreciated or like your work doesn’t matter7
If any of the symptoms listed here resonate with you, or if you know that you’re suffering from burnout, these tips from the American Nurses Association can help with alleviating your symptoms:
- Rest: Getting enough sleep between shifts is crucial for nurses. If your current schedule won’t allow you to get enough sleep, talk to your supervisor or whoever plans the shift schedule. Nurse burnout and patient safety go hand in hand, so it’s important to be clear with your co-workers when you’re experiencing burnout.
- Ask for help: Emotional support can help with the stress of workplace demands and the mental load of patient care. Make sure you have a sound support system at work, like co-workers to who you can vent your feelings, and consider contacting a therapist before your burnout becomes hard to manage.
- Get exercise: Physical activity has proven stress-alleviating effects. And improving your strength and cardiovascular fitness can make the physical demands of nursing less strenuous.
- Eat well: Make sure you’re getting enough to eat before and during shifts and that the food is healthy. It’s easy to get caught up in patient care and skip meals or eat junk food to save time. Taking time to buy or prepare nutritious meals at home and at work can help you stay focused and perform at your best.
- Take a break: Periodically disconnecting from work is important. It gives you a chance to unwind, relax, and recharge your physical and emotional reserves. Despite that, 55% of Americans don’t use all of their paid vacation time. Don’t be one of them. If the idea of taking time for yourself makes you feel guilty for leaving work or patients behind, remember that avoiding burnout will help you perform better when you are at work.
- Request training: Speak with your supervisors about training that can help you better cope with the demands of the job.
- Mindfulness techniques: These techniques can prevent or manage burnout by reminding you of what’s out of your control and making it easier to maintain a sense of self-worth in the face of challenges or discouragement.
Burnout is real, but it’s not inevitable
While burnout is a serious problem among nurses, it can be prevented. The key to prevention is self-awareness. Make it a habit to check in with yourself regularly, and honestly assess yourself. Do you see the early warning signs of burnout in your thought processes or behaviors? What proactive steps, like the ones listed above, can you take to alleviate the symptoms you’re experiencing?
If you recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout, advocate for yourself. Speak to your supervisor and discuss the resources that are available to you and see if any changes can be made to your schedule. You want to be proactive in tackling the burnout head-on before it becomes an issue for you or your patients. If you don’t find the support that you need with your immediate supervisor, don’t be afraid to seek out others within your facility who may be a resource for you.
Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and your coworkers. The effects of burnout on your physical and mental health along with the risks to patient safety are too great to be ignored. Take a minute and check in with yourself today.
Until next time,
Melanie
Read More:
- The Burden of Perfection and How to Carry It
- Head over to First Case Media to read more Perioperative Content! This post is cross-posted over there as well.
- Season 16 of the First Case podcast has released! You can listen and learn anywhere you listen to podcasts.
