Healthcare workers are in crisis: Some 35 percent of surveyed nurse leaders—usually a clinical specialist who oversees other leaders and registered nurses—say low morale and burnout is their biggest challenge, according to a March 2021 study by the American Association for Nursing Leadership. A stunning 16 percent reported they are not emotionally healthy.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put our healthcare workers under enormous strain, exacerbating burnout and staffing shortages that predate the pandemic. Even with recent increasingly relaxed regulations around COVID-19, the number of hospital patients remain far beyond normal levels, and staffing shortages continue forcing healthcare professionals to spend more time and energy at work than ever before. And they continue to risk personal safety and the safety of their loved ones with exposure to the virus and resulting infections at rates higher than the general population.
Unfortunately, the stress continues to grow. The Great Resignation, driven by exhaustion and external factors like lack of childcare and low wages, is reducing the number of healthcare professionals in the workforce, causing remaining staff to shoulder additional responsibilities. According to Morning Consult, nearly 20 percent of healthcare workers have quit their jobs during the pandemic, another 31 percent have considered leaving, and almost 80 percent have said that the shortage of workers in the industry has had an impact on them and their office.
Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.