Burnout—or Moral Injury?

Provider burnout has been the subject of much consternation—and resultant coverage in the medical media, including JUCM (see Provider Burnout Is Real; Show Compassion for Yourself, or Recognizing and Preventing Provider Burnout in Urgent Care in our archive.) Burnout may not be the most accurate or helpful way to describe symptoms like increased apathy toward work, a pervading sense of boredom and stagnation, irritability, and a shortened attention span, however. As detailed in a new post on the HealthLeaders website, the term moral injury is probably closer to the effect of working too many hours under stressful or difficult circumstances. It also reframes the problem from one which has sometimes been categorized as a personal issue to one which “draws attention to how the current practice of medicine contradicts physician training and tendencies” and “expresses the systemic nature of the strain on physicians and the need for a comprehensive approach to address the problem,” the article explains. Either way, systemic solutions can help both the provider and the efficient flow (and level) of care in your urgent care center. They start with minimizing administrative burdens in any way possible in order to allow providers to focus on the patient. As detailed in one of the JUCM articles noted above, providers can also take steps to heal themselves, such as creating a “life calendar” that blocks out time for personal pursuits and family time, and developing a work–life boundary ritual (such as mindfully removing your lab coat at the end of a shift, or making time to do some breathing exercises as soon as you get home).