On this special episode, I am joined with Dr. Liz Crowe to discuss all things burnout and staff well-being. This is a companion episode to the one I recently recorded on the EMCrit Burnout Model.
Liz Crowe, PhD
Staff Wellbeing Specialist (Counsellor, Coach, Consultant, Debriefing, Research and Educator)
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Co-host RBWH Nursing Podcast ‘Five Things’
She is an internationally renowned speaker on paediatric loss, grief, crisis and bereavement work. Her research interests include staff wellbeing, loss, grief, crisis and bereavement work in critical care, paediatric sepsis, moral distress, clinical debriefing following a critical incident, end of life care and advance care planning. You can find her on twitter as @lizcrowe2
Listen to Liz on the St. Emlyn's Podcast
Burnout is not just emotional exhaustion, that is just exhaustion. All of us are exhausted, but that doesn't mean we are burnt out.
What Leads to Burnout
from Maslach
Workload
How sustainable the amount of work on our plate is. The more our workload eclipses our capacity, the more likely we are to reach the point of burnout.
Values.
What lets us connect with our work on a deeper level. This may sound wishy-washy, but the more our work aligns with what we value, the more meaningful it feels and engaged we become. Both help us avoid burnout.
Reward.
The level of reward we get from our job — including financial rewards (salary, bonuses, stock options, etc.) and social rewards (whether we’re recognized for the contributions we make). Insufficient reward can make us feel ineffective, one of the core attributes of burnout.
Control.
The autonomy we have over when, where, and how we do our work. The less control we have, the more likely we are to burn out.
Fairness.
The feeling that we’re treated equitably at work relative to our colleagues. Fairness is an important ingredient that promotes engagement and keeps cynicism at bay.
Community.
Professional relationships contribute enormously to minimizing burnout and boosting engagement. The weaker our relationships and the more conflict we experience, the more likely we are to burn out.
Maslach Burnout Inventory
- Emotional Exhaustion
- Depersonalization/Cynicism presents as compassion fatigue
- Personal Accomplishment
Please stop using the actual inventory tool to diagnose individuals, it was made for organizational assessment
Christine Maslach described burnout as the opposite of ‘engagement’, I would add it is also the opposite of play/fun.
Four C’s of burnout commonly occur. These include callousness, the tendency to cut corners, intense cynicism and even contempt. We can end up loathing and resenting the very people that they set out to help. Burnout is also associated with hopelessness, powerlessness and resignation. from Brindley et al.
Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic [36229269]
Six Things Organizations Can Do from Liz Crowe's Podcast
- Reduce Excessive Workload
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Give control/autonomy
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Recognize and Reward
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Give Social Support
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Ensure Fairness and Transparency
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Live their Values
See Liz's PhD Thesis on the Topic
Additional Info
- HBR Two Minute Checkup for Burn
- Crowe 2023 Critical care staff wellbeing a new paradigm for understanding burnout
- Crowe 2023 Factors that may threaten or protect the wellbeing of staff working in paediatric intensive care environments
Now on to the Podcast
- EMCrit 373 – Mike Weinstock with another Critical Care Bounceback: “Asymptomatic Hypertension” - April 18, 2024
- EMCrit Wee – Ross Prager on 10 Heuristics for the New ICU Attending - April 13, 2024
- EMCrit 372 – FoundStab Intubation SOP - April 5, 2024
Dearest Liz , Scott
This is a truely a MUST LISTEN POCAST
Thank you so much for sharing this…
This is so recognisable …
So true..
So honest and pure..
We need this “consciousness” in medicine here in Belgium…
Tx tx tx!
I just come to share this with my collegues… I cannot wait for their reactions on this subject..
kind regards,
Frank
emergency physician
Belgium
Hi Scott, Firstly I just want to say that if my podcast wife was going to cheat on me with anyone, I’m glad it was you. I enjoyed the podcast hugely but just wanted to mention two things. While Burnout is undoubtedly a system issue there are personal issues that prevent us from being our best at work (and outside). Like many, I am sure, I have had my flirtations with depression and had days when simply getting out of bed and actually turning up for work felt like an achievement. To then have to be the ‘bringer of fun… Read more »
much love to you, Iain!
I responded privately to these excellent comments.