Hello, and welcome to episode 23 of The Nurse trauma Healing podcast. I’m Dr. Lorre Laws, your host, and today we’ll be discussing the phenomenon of patient burnout, reported by mainstream media as a simmering public health crisis. We’ll examine patient burnout through the lenses of the patient perspective and avoidable nurse-specific traumatization, for the two go hand in hand. So, get comfy and we’ll get this party started.
What is patient burnout?
Patient burnout in the healthcare system is a growing concern that adversely impacts both patients and healthcare professionals. Factors contributing to patient burnout include long wait times, limited communication with healthcare providers, complex and confusing medical information, and a lack of emotional support during challenging times. As patients navigate the complexities of the healthcare system, the overwhelming demands and frustrations can lead to emotional exhaustion, feelings of helplessness, and a decrease in overall well-being.
The repercussions of patient burnout extend beyond individual experiences to impact healthcare outcomes and the well-being of nurses. Burned-out patients are more likely to experience medical errors, reduced satisfaction with care, and delayed recovery. This, in turn, places additional strain on nurses who are tasked with providing quality care in increasingly challenging circumstances. Addressing patient burnout requires systemic changes in healthcare delivery, such as improved communication, streamlined processes, and increased support services, to ensure that patients receive the care they need while also supporting the well-being of healthcare providers.
Once again. Healthcare System Inadequacies are at Fault.
Patient burnout in the healthcare system is a direct result of healthcare system inadequacies that contribute to the traumatization experienced by patients. Factors such as long wait times, limited communication with healthcare providers, complex medical information, and a lack of emotional support all contribute to the psychological trauma endured by patients. The overwhelming demands and frustrations within the healthcare system can lead to emotional exhaustion, feelings of helplessness, and a decline in overall well-being, perpetuating the cycle of patient burnout and trauma.
The failure of the healthcare system to address these inadequacies not only impacts patient outcomes but also perpetuates the cycle of traumatization experienced by patients, aligning with Foli’s Middle Range Theory of Nurse Psychological Trauma. Patients who experience burnout and dissatisfaction with their care are more likely to exhibit symptoms of emotional distress, which can hinder their recovery process and further exacerbate their trauma. This, in turn, places an additional burden on healthcare professionals, including nurses, who must navigate these challenges while providing quality care to patients.
Let’s Unpack How the Same Factors that Contribute to Nurse-Specific Traumatization also Contribute to Patient Burnout
First, patients, like nurses, are whole persons with their unique individual trauma history; acute and chronic traumas, complex trauma, developmental and neglect traumas, to name a few. Then, they enter a healthcare system that is not designed to meet their needs, but rather the needs of the healthcare organization, lobbyists, politicians, and mega corporations. Patients are literally being steamrolled by the system.
Those who are providing care for these patients are similarly burned out and traumatized. Patients and nurses experience system-induced trauma. The health systems and organizations that are supposed to be helping patients are, sometimes unknowingly and often knowingly, inflicting trauma exposure instead of healing opportunities on those they serve. Policies that are designed to increase profitability and a high return on venture capitalist investments do not prioritize the patient or their needs. Just try and read any insurance policy. Pages and pages and pages of complex insurance-ese language that aims to overwhelm the patient into just going along with the status quo instead of supporting their agency.
Patients and nurses are experiencing insufficient resource trauma. It’s a double trauma whammy. So here’s the deal. In the best of decades, nurses and patients face devastating traumatic events. These individual traumas are often only partially healed, partially integrated. That means that the unintegrated trauma – what I refer to as unhealed bits of wisdom – gets stored in the body until conditions are favorable for healing.
Well, guess what. Conditions are not favorable for healing in most healthcare settings. Nurses, physicians, and health professionals are experiencing unprecedented numbers of burnout and work-related PTSD. Patients, too, are bringing their own unintegrated trauma or unhealed bits of wisdom into the practice setting where they are further exposed to system-induced and insufficient resource traumas while being directly or indirectly exposed to the effects of workplace violence trauma.
So we have traumatized patients being cared for by traumatized nurses . . .and wonder why nurses are leaving the profession in droves while patient outcomes flounder.
Strategies for Patient Burnout and Medical PTSD
Patients can advocate for themselves by asking questions about their care, seeking out support resources, and educating themselves on their rights within the healthcare system. Patients can engage in specific trauma healing practices such as mindfulness, grounding techniques, and self-soothing strategies to address the emotional distress caused by system-induced trauma. For example, patients can use grounding techniques to stay connected to the present moment during flashbacks or intrusive thoughts. By incorporating trauma healing practices into their daily routines, patients can build resilience, cope with stress reactions, and take control of their well-being in the face of healthcare system inadequacies. Together, nurses and patients can work towards creating a culture of healing and support within healthcare settings to address the pervasive effects of avoidable traumatization on both individuals and the healthcare system as a whole.
Strategies for Nurses Experiencing Nurse-Specific Traumatization
To address the traumatic effects of avoidable traumatization in healthcare settings, nurses and patients can take proactive steps to advocate for themselves and engage in specific trauma healing practices. Nurses can staunchly advocate for themselves by demanding adequate resources, safe staffing levels, and trauma-informed training within their organizations. By prioritizing their well-being and mental health, nurses can protect themselves from burnout and provide more effective care to patients. In addition, nurses can engage in somatic experiencing, a trauma healing practice that focuses on releasing stored trauma in the body through physical sensations and movements. By incorporating somatic experiencing into their self-care routines, nurses can address the impact of trauma exposure and build resilience in the face of system-induced traumatization.
In addition to advocating for themselves and engaging in trauma healing practices, nurses can implement evidence-based strategies to prevent or address nurse-specific PTSD symptoms. These strategies include establishing healthy boundaries to maintain a work-life balance, practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques to manage stress, seeking out peer support networks for emotional validation and camaraderie, participating in regular physical activity to release tension and improve mental well-being, attending trauma-informed training to enhance their understanding of trauma and its effects, engaging in regular supervision or debriefing sessions to process challenging experiences, setting realistic goals and expectations to reduce feelings of overwhelm, practicing self-compassion and self-care rituals to nurture their mental and emotional health, seeking professional counseling or therapy to address unresolved trauma and develop coping strategies, and advocating for organizational changes to promote a culture of safety, support, and well-being for all healthcare workers. By incorporating these evidence-based strategies into their daily routines, nurses can proactively address nurse-specific PTSD symptoms, build resilience, and cultivate a sense of empowerment in their practice.
Nurse-Specific Traumatization is Real. We Can Help.
If you or someone you know has been affected by nurse-specific traumatization, please seek support immediately. I and my team are standing by to support nurses however possible. Please join my Nurse Trauma Masterclass or schedule a personal call with me to explore the best healing options for you.
Until next time, thank you for all that you are and do.
I see you.
I feel you.
I hear you.
And I am here for you.
From my healer’s heart to yours,
Dr. Lorre 💕
