What are the Implications of Nurse Burnout?

Burnout can have far-reaching consequences not only for nurses but additionally for the healthcare organization and patients.

When it comes to nurses, burnout can result in depression, exhaustion, sleeping problems, irritability, and disengagement. What does this mean? All of these issues can mean increased medical errors, more absences from work, and high staffing turnover – certainly not good news for hospitals or patients.

A Look at Statistics

● Over 1/3 of nurses in hospitals and nursing homes report burnout from their jobs

● 50% of nurses have considered leaving the profession

● 1 in 5 nurses leaves his/her job in the first year

● 1 in 3 nurses leaves his/her job within two years

● The number one reason for wanting to leave a nursing job is feeling overworked (27%)

(RN Network)

When analyzing the data, it’s easy to see that nurse burnout has momentous effects on healthcare in general. Nursing shortages, patient safety, and costs for hospitals are all significant problems related to burnout.

Click Here for suggestions on how to avoid and cope with nurse burnout 

Citations:

Mudallal RH, Othman WM, Al Hassan NF. Nurses’ Burnout: The Influence of Leader Empowering Behaviors, Work Conditions, and Demographic Traits. Inquiry. 2017;54:46958017724944. doi:10.1177/0046958017724944

McHugh MD, Kutney-Lee A, Cimiotti JP, Sloane DM, Aiken LH. Nurses’ widespread job dissatisfaction, burnout, and frustration with health benefits signal problems for patient care. Health Aff (Millwood). 2011;30(2):202–210. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0100

Kovner, C. T., Brewer, C. S., Fatehi, F., & Jun, J. (2014). What Does Nurse Turnover Rate Mean and What Is the Rate? Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 15(3–4), 64–71.