Burnout in the nursing and midwifery professions is real and should not be underestimated.
Let’s all take burnout seriously, be aware of the symptoms and work together to prevent it.
While no nurse, midwife or student should experience burnout, unfortunately many do says Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia (NMHPA) Deputy Director Mark Aitken, who like too many nurses and midwives has lived experience of burnout.
It was while working in a large public sector intensive care unit that Mark experienced burnout because of his work. At that time, he didn’t have the language to describe what he was feeling and name it as burnout. “I just knew that I wasn’t OK. Exposure to multiple deaths and trauma, a high stress work environment, unpredictable unrealistic workloads, lack of adequate resources and physical and emotional exhaustion had depleted me.
“No one talked about burnout. It was just ‘you’re not your happy self, Mark’. I remember a pastoral care staff member saying to me: ‘How are you, Mark?” after someone had died. I said: ‘I am really tired and sad.’ It was the first time someone had asked me that. There is incredible value in talking and asking someone what is going on.”
Burnout – what is it “Burnout is not just having a bad day, its work-related stress that may have a cumulative unwanted effect over time,” Mark says.
In 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) recognised burnout as a medical condition in its International Classification of Diseases. The WHO defines burnout as ‘a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’. The syndrome is characterised by three dimensions:
· feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
· increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
· reduced professional efficacy.
According to the classification, burnout specifically refers to phenomena in the ‘occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life’. Effects of burnout on our health and our careers
The research has shown the effects of burnout can include cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal pain, depressive treatment, job dissatisfaction and premature exit from your profession. Mark believes burnout is common among nurses and midwives for a number of reasons.
“Nurses and midwives expend a lot of ‘emotional energy’ each day being empathetic to those they care for, while also facing many frustrating system issues, such as lack of beds, delays in accessing referrals, staff shortages, occupational violence and a lack of resources to do the job.”
Ask your colleagues R U Ok
“In nursing and midwifery, we’re all in this together and we need to keep asking each other: R U OK.” The R U OK? simple question is a vital opening to a conversation that could change a life.
Opting out – his only option
It was after a night shift in charge with 5 agency staff that brought it all to a head for Mark. “I thought ‘I can’t do this anymore’. I resigned that morning. The great sadness, he reflects, was around a perceived lack of support and acknowledgment of a chronic unrealistic workload which had left him wanting to leave the profession he loved.
“When you’re in the service and care of other people, often you’re not wired or very good at putting your own needs or your own self-care first.
“Fortunately, I got the support I needed, studied counselling and made a commitment to do all I could to support other nurses and midwives at risk of burnout.”
Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia – a safe place NMHPA offers care and support for nurses and midwives experiencing sensitive issues in a welcoming, compassionate and non‐judgmental environment. It is a safe place to connect and heal.
“What we’re really keen to reinforce is if you’re not feeling great about life, or yourself, or your work, then really connect and tap into that feeling. Honour it, own it and do something about it.”
“I’m always concerned about nurses and midwives experiencing burnout, including early career nurses and midwife students and graduates who often struggle and are at risk of experiencing burnout.
Early career, individual support
“I think if we support our early career nurses and midwives and our students early on then we can set them up to be better prepared and more equipped to deal with some of the inevitable challenges they will face.”
“It’s a very individual experience for each nurse, midwife and student who goes through any complex health issue. Shared stories really support other people who might be going through a similar experience,” says Mark.
Hold onto hope, you will recover from burnout, and we are here to support you on your pathway to be a healthier you.
You might like to find out how NMHPA can help with Burnout or any other issue, visit our website for more information about our services.
Visit the NMHPA website for more resources and stories to support your health. https://nursemidwifehpa.org.au
Phone 1800 001 060 for a confidential one-to-one session with an experienced nurse or midwife. 9-5pm Monday-Friday (EST).
