Provider Burnout Is a Very Real Threat—But It’s Not Unpreventable

On the heels of a World Health Organization decision to classify burnout as a legitimate workplace phenomenon, the National Academy of Medicine just released a report focused on preventing, identifying, and helping to manage clinician burnout. It also estimates that between one third and one half of all clinicians in the United States are affected by burnout. Objectives laid out in the report include establishing positive work environments; addressing burnout in training and at the early career stage; reducing tasks that do not enhance patient care; improving the usability and relevance of health IT; reducing stigma and improving burnout recovery services; and creating a national research agenda on clinician well-being. Urgent care providers are obviously not immune from burnout—in fact, the unpredictable nature of this practice setting may make it especially high risk. While it is important for employers to understand how they can help reduce risk (or to support providers who do get burned out), there are things the individual can do, as well. To learn more about that, read Provider Burnout Is Real; Show Compassion for Yourself in the JUCM archive.