HealthLeaders Spotlights Healthcare Worker Burnout and Well-Being

Read the Top 10 HealthLeaders burnout and well-being stories since 2021.

Addressing healthcare worker burnout and well-being are key elements of improving healthcare andrising to the challenge of widespread workforce shortages at health systems, hospitals, and physician practices.

In 2008, the Triple Aim for healthcare improvement was introduced, featuring improvement of population health, enhancement of the care experience, and reduction of costs. In 2014, the Quadruple Aim for healthcare improvement was created with the addition of workforce well-being as a fourth element to address healthcare worker burnout.

HealthLeaders has been following healthcare worker burnout and well-being developments for years. The 10 stories listed below have been popular with HealthLeaders readers.

9 Lessons Learned From Pair of Healthcare Worker Well-Being Programs: The experience of two healthcare worker well-being programs implemented during the coronavirus pandemic generates recommendations.

Study Identifies Interventions Physicians and Nurses Want to Address Burnout: To address burnout, physicians and nurses prefer actions to boost nurse staffing, increase clinician control over workload, and improve work environments rather than wellness programs and resilience training, a research article found.

Battling Burnout: ANA Arms Nurses With an Effective Weapon: The program, developed by SE Healthcare, a healthcare data analytics provider, gives nurses on-demand access to more than 190 "bite-size" videos on real-world challenges faced by nurses, with topics such as Building a Better Day Off; Delegation—What a Revelation; Shared Governance; and Ethical Dilemmas.

Emotional Exhaustion Increased From 31.8% of Healthcare Workers in 2019 to 40.4% in Second Year of Pandemic: Emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers has increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a research article.

One-Third of Nurses Plan to Quit Their Jobs in 2022, Thanks to High Stress and Burnout: More than one-third (34%) of nurses surveyed said they likely would quit their job by the end of 2022, primarily because of burnout and a high-stress working environment, a study found.

Healthcare Workforce Rescue Package Targets Well-Being During Pandemic: A five-part guide for healthcare executives includes adjusting expectations, reducing low-value work, and strategies for addressing workforce shortages.

The Business Case for Clinician Wellness: If healthcare organizations want to be successful, they must invest in their clinical workforce.

Physicians Reporting at Least One Burnout Symptom Rises From 38.2% in 2020 to 62.8% in 2021: The president of the American Medical Association calls for "urgent action" to improve physician well-being.

Expert: Healthcare Worker Burnout Trending in Alarming Direction: Healthcare worker burnout has reached crisis proportions and urgent action is required to turn the tide, according to Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, APRN-CNP. Melnyk is chief wellness officer of The Ohio State University and dean of the university's College of Nursing. She is a nationally recognized leader on healthcare worker burnout and well-being.

Nurses, Other Healthcare Workers Experience Reduced Stress and Burnout Through Mindfulness Program: An 8-week mindfulness program created by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine significantly reduced burnout and perceived stress for nurses and other healthcare staff, while increasing resilience and work engagement, a study found.