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Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue

Omolola Roberts

Capella University

NHS4000: Developing a Health Care Perspective

Brain Martinez

February 19, 2024.

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Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue

As we discussed in the previous assessment, burnout among nurses is a critical

healthcare problem that can have negative impacts on patient outcomes, including

medication errors and mortality. Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion,

depersonalization, and a sense of low personal accomplishment that leads to decreased

effectiveness at work, as defined by De Hert, Stefan (2020). Although all healthcare

professionals can experience burnout, nurses are more susceptible to it than others, likely

because they are responsible for caring directly for patients and make up the largest part of

the healthcare workforce. According to a study by Rotenstein et al. (2023), the overall

burnout rate from a survey conducted was 49.9%, with nursing staff having the highest

burnout rate at 56.0%, followed by other clinical staff (54.1%), physicians (47.3%), and

non-clinical staff (45.6%). Burnout among nurses can be caused by external factors such

as lack of resources, pressure from supervisors, and poor work organization, as well as

internal factors such as perfectionism, feeling irreplaceable, and suppressing their own

needs, as described by De Hert, Stefan (2020).

Elements of the Problem/Issue

Research has shown that nurses may experience burnout due to various factors such as

inadequate resources, poor working conditions, and a lack of motivation. The working

conditions of nursing staff can have an impact on their mental well-being and the quality

of healthcare they provide. These unfavourable conditions have an antagonistic effect on

the physical and mental wellbeing of healthcare experts. The nursing staffs are among

those who are most influenced, and they habitually encounter burnout disorder or one of

its a few measurements, counting enthusiastic weariness, depersonalization, and

diminished individual achievement. (Molina et al, 2022).

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Insufficient resources including staffing level and poor working conditions can lead to

an excessive workload for nurses. When there are not enough resources and workforce

available to cater to the number of patients, nurses may have to deal with an

overwhelming workload. This excessive workload can eventually lead to burnout.

According to Dall'Ora (2020), workload and certain job characteristics like staffing levels

are significantly associated with burnout.

As per the findings of Izdebski et al. (2023), poor communication is a key factor that

can lead to burnout among nurses. When communication is inadequate or ineffective, it

not only impacts the healthcare professionals, but it also puts the patients at risk.

Communication breakdowns that occur during shift changes can lead to medication errors

and misdiagnosis, which can have serious consequences. In addition, poor communication

among healthcare professionals and personal issues can contribute significantly to nurse

burnout.

Analysis

As a nurse, I sometimes experience burnout, just like other healthcare professionals. It's

essential for me to identify the causes of burnout and learn how to prevent it or practice

self-care to avoid it. Burnout can result in poor patient outcomes, medication errors, and in

some cases, even patient deaths. That's why it's crucial to evaluate the causes and find

possible solutions. I also need to be able to recognize external causes of burnout in my

workplace, report them, and take steps to prevent them. For example, poor communication

during shift changes and excessive workload can lead to burnout. Since burnout could

affect productivity tremendously, it is a top priority, it's crucial to ensure patient safety,

prevent burnout and prioritize self-care when necessary.

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Context for Burnout Issues

As nursing and healthcare are constantly evolving fields, there are various internal and

external factors that can affect the productivity of nursing staff and lead to burnout. It is

crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain professionalism and avoid any issues that

may lead to patient dissatisfaction or put patients at risk due to burnout. At an individual

level, contextual factors need to be considered in relation to the three dimensions of

burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.

These factors may arise due to lack of training, job satisfaction, and poor self-care. At the

system level, organisations fail to provide adequate training, robust working hour

schedules, and good working conditions. Workplace conditions, which have been

drastically altered by the sudden increase in demands and responsibilities, can put

immense stress on healthcare professionals, placing them at an increased risk of burnout

(Thompson et al, 2023). This entire factor, contributes to burnout among nurses. During

the COVID-19 pandemic, I experienced burnout due to a combination of factors. While I

was working, my child contracted the virus which emotionally destabilized me.

Additionally, I was under immense pressure to attend to the overwhelming number of

COVID-19 patients with limited resources. These situations led to my analysis of the

problem of burnout.

Populations Affected by Burnout Issues

Nurses constitute the largest and most vulnerable group with regards to experiencing

burnout, especially among young nurses. The American Nurses Association conducted a

survey in 2020, which revealed that nearly two-thirds of nurses (62%) experience burnout,

and this is particularly prevalent among nurses under the age of 25, with 69% reporting

burnout. This issue affects all hospitals and healthcare systems in the United States, and it
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is essential for healthcare organizations to provide measures that would help to reduce or

completely prevent burnout among nurses. Additionally, there should be emphasis on the

need for self-care, especially in the case of unprecedented incidents like the COVID-19

pandemic.

Considering Options

Achieving zero or no burnout among nurses requires an effective workplace

intervention system. One of the factors contributing to burnout is a lack of personal

accomplishment. Therefore, having a supportive workplace system that promotes personal

accomplishment can help prevent burnout among nurses. Personal accomplishment is an

important metric of well-being for nurses, as it is associated with increased job satisfaction

and decreased thoughts of leaving the job (Khorfan et al., 2021). Studies have shown that

personal accomplishment is closely tied to the workplace intervention system, and aspects

such as control, community, fairness, and values can have a positive impact on personal

accomplishment (Lee et al., 2023).

It's important to consider psychological intervention when addressing burnout. Burnout

can sometimes be caused by internal factors, such as suppressing one's own needs,

emotional distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder, which may not be directly related to

their job. Individual-focused interventions, such as mindfulness, stress management, and

group discussions, can be effective in reducing burnout. Therefore, healthcare employers

should make these services available, including counselling and mindfulness. (Razai et al.,

2023).
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Solution

In healthcare, nurse burnout is a sensitive and important issue that needs to be addressed.

To prevent burnout, healthcare organizations can implement an effective workplace system

that provides tailored support for nurses and other healthcare workers. This system could

encourage personal accomplishment and provide free psychological interventions for

nurses. According to Shiri et al. (2023), workplace interventions can improve work ability,

well-being, perceived general health, work performance, and job satisfaction. They can also

reduce psychosocial risk factors, job burnout, and sickness absence among healthcare

workers.

What would be required to implement solution.

To address the issue of nurses' burnout, healthcare stakeholders need to come together and

hold a meeting. During the meeting, they can design a healthcare system that caters to

workplace intervention. This system should have policies in place to improve nurses'

burnout and prevent it from happening. The stakeholders should also help in decision

making by identifying the areas that cause burnout among nurses. In addition, they can

provide psychological interventions that can be permanently integrated into the workplace

intervention system. To encourage participation, the workplace interventions should be

implemented as routine programs such as psychotherapy sessions with free work hours or

integrated into daily work routines. This information is based on a study conducted by Shiri

et al. in 2023.

The consequences of neglecting the issue of burnout among nurses are quite severe. The

potential outcomes include medication errors, misdiagnoses, poor patient outcomes, and
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even mortality. Furthermore, this could result in an increase in burnout among nurses,

leading to a shortage of qualified professionals in the field. If left untreated, some nurses

may even suffer from mental breakdowns or worse, which would further exacerbate the

problem of understaffing.

Furthermore, implementing a workplace intervention system would offer a solution to

prevent burnout among nurses. The system would measure and report excessive workload

assigned to nurses, ensuring that they are not overburdened with tasks or work, including

shift hours and the required number of staff on duty. This system would also encourage

personal accomplishment. However, one disadvantage is that it could lead to laziness and

unwillingness for nurses to go the extra mile. Additionally, psychotherapeutic intervention

could result in an increased cost for the healthcare organization. What would be necessary

to implement this proposed intervention however is a new policy that would change the

operation of nurses on duty. Such that the factors that causes burnout would be tackled with

the solution.

The Ethical Principles

If the proposed solution were implemented, it would be important to consider the four

ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice. Beneficence

refers to the physician's obligation to act in the best interest of the patient and to protect

their rights, prevent harm, and remove conditions that may cause harm (Varkey, 2021).

Since nurses provide care for patients, they also deserve to be cared for and protected.

Therefore, implementing this solution would benefit nurses and prevent harm caused by

burnout.
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Non-maleficence means avoiding harm, and the proposed solution would not harm nurses,

as it aims to improve the existing workplace system to reduce or eliminate burnout.

Autonomy refers to the right of patients to make medical decisions without undue influence

from healthcare providers. This principle can be used to encourage and support self-care

among nurses to prevent burnout.

Finally, the principle of justice, which means fairness, implies that nurses should be

cared for and protected since they provide care for others. Therefore, implementing this

solution would be fair and justifiable in providing a system for nurses that would help

prevent or reduce burnout.

References
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Dall’Ora, C., Ball, J., Reinius, M. et al. Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review. Hum

Resour Health 18, 41 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-00469-9

De Hert, Stefan. “Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact and Preventative

Strategies.” Local and regional anesthesia vol. 13 171-183. 28 Oct. 2020,

doi:10.2147/LRA.S240564.Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7604257/

Izdebski, Zbigniew et al. “Occupational Burnout in Healthcare Workers, Stress and Other

Symptoms of Work Overload during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland.”

International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 20,3 2428. 30

Jan. 2023, doi:10.3390/ijerph20032428

Khorfan, Rhami et al. “The Role of Personal Accomplishment in General Surgery Resident

Well-being.” Annals of surgery vol. 274,1 (2021): 12-17.

doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000004768. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8187265/

Lee, Miran, and Chiyoung Cha. “Interventions to reduce burnout among clinical nurses:

systematic review and meta-analysis.” Scientific reports vol. 13,1 10971. 6 Jul. 2023,

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38169-8. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10325963/

Molina Zavala, B. I., Zamora-Macorra, M., & Martínez Alcántara, S. (2022). Working

Conditions and the Components of Burnout Among Nursing Staff in a Public Hospital

in Mexico City. The journal of nursing research : JNR, 30(4), e219.

https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000495

Razai MS, Kooner P, Majeed A. Strategies and Interventions to Improve Healthcare

Professionals’ Well-Being and Reduce Burnout. Journal of Primary Care & Community
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Health. 2023;14. doi:10.1177/21501319231178641.Retrieved from:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21501319231178641

Rotenstein, Lisa S et al. “The Association of Work Overload with Burnout and Intent to

Leave the Job Across the Healthcare Workforce During COVID-19.” Journal of general

internal medicine vol. 38,8 (2023): 1920-1927. doi:10.1007/s11606-023-08153-z.

Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10035977/

Shiri, Rahman et al. “Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions to Improve Health and Well-

Being of Health and Social Service Workers: A Narrative Review of Randomised

Controlled Trials.” Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 11,12 1792. 17 Jun. 2023,

doi:10.3390/healthcare11121792.Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10298158/

Thompson, Helaina G et al. “Organization-Level Factors Associated With Burnout: Guided

Discussions With Micropolitan Public Health Workers During COVID-19.” Journal of

occupational and environmental medicine vol. 65,7 (2023): 580-583.

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002837. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10329979/
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