ARGUMENT
The burnout syndrome is such a hard thing to get rid of.
From knowing several people who work in the medical field I have had a pretty
good insight into that sort of thing. The burnout syndrome is from physical and
emotional exhaustion in the work place. The oncology department hit home to me
because of my mom. I went with my mom every Monday to chemotherapy and was able
to see what it is like working with such ill patients. I also see what it is
like being the patients with the terminal illness of cancer, however, I truly
do not understand. For professionals in the health care field the burnout
syndrome is always a worry, which I have seen and completely agree with. How
can we improve job burnout in the nursing field?
Oncologists are professionals who are there to track a
person’s health. They are also there to watch over chemotherapy and radiation
and to make sure that everything is working properly. From going with my mom
every Monday I have seen how nurses get attached to their patients. These
nurses care for people like they are their best friend. They have to watch them
sit there, knowing they have some form of cancer. Taking care of these patients
is such an emotional strain which can be connected to the burnout syndrome. The
burnout syndrome can be alleviated by being aware of the lifestyle and coping,
knowing risk factors, and finding true meaning within the work place.
The burnout syndrome is such a problem that so many
nurses are facing. “Burnout is defined as the syndrome of emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, and a reduced personal accomplishment” (South African
Medical Journal). Burnout can also cause so many health problems. Things such
as: depression, iron and vitamin deficiency, diabetes, and much more. (http://www.dzip.de/en/health/burnout/causes-of-burnout)
With knowing several of the health problems there are also ways to prevent it.
Being aware of the lifestyle and coping skills is a huge
component of being able to overcome issues in the workplace. There are a wide
variety of coping skills that need to be known. Problem focused and emotional
focused coping is so important for nurses. That would be finding the problem
and aligning emotions so that they are not off balance. Authors Fearon and
Nicol brought up the point, “The promotion of a healthier lifestyle to improve
wellbeing and protect against burnout is a common topic in burnout literature,
with advice on diet, exercise, relaxation, and decompression routines (such as
exercising after leaving work or changing into different clothes)” (Fearon and
Nicol). Honestly, all it is would be to take care of yourself and don’t let the
stress at work get to you too much, to the point it would cause burnout. If not
allowing yourself the time to take care of your body then chronic fatigue could
set in. Along with being aware of the lifestyle and coping skills another way
to prevent burnout is by knowing the risk factors.
The list of risk factors is absolutely huge. Being aware
of what could happen while working in the oncology department is another way to
prevent the burnout syndrome. People in general care about one another. They
want what is best, and that is especially true to those who work with patients
suffering from a life threatening illness. According to Komatsu and Yagasaki,
“Symbolic interactionism theory assumes that people create meaning through
social interaction” (Komatsu and Yagasaki). This is true when someone is taking
care of another person. Putting 100% of your time and effort into the care of
one person allows you to get attached. From a personal experience, I know my
mom loved one of her nurses and would have done absolutely anything for her. It
would have gone the other way also. However, being attached to someone puts the
person at a higher chance of developing risk factors. In order to veer away
from problems make sure to take good physical and emotional care of yourself.
Know what values you possess, and set professional goals. Know that in the
oncology department things are going to happen because the patient is suffering
from a serious illness and the chances of them making it are not that high.
Even with knowing the risk factors, meditation is also another possibility.
Meditation is something that many people believe to be a
positive aspect of coping. In other words Morgan Lewis Jr. states, “Guided
meditation and sharing of experiences has been shown to improve mood and
decrease feelings of burnout, according to a study of primary care physicians
from the Journal of the American Medical Association” (Lewis). This is where 70
physicians participated in a study in Rochester, New York. While taking the
survey physicians experienced decreased feelings of emotional exhaustion and
depersonalization. They felt more accomplished and had patient empathy. (Lewis)
Better health within the health care field was related to patient trust, lower
health care costs, and improved mood.
Even though there are ways to get around or deal with the
burnout syndrome the health care professional must know what is to come. When
taking care of a patient with some form of cancer a routine needs to be set in
place. By this I mean, along with Natalie Scott that, “Care plans should be
more holistic and oncology based, and the process for completing care plans
should not be too time-consuming for staff” (Scott). This would mean not to
overwhelm the staff. However, you shouldn’t give too much leeway. That is when
the caregiver and patient get attached. Yes, it could be such a positive thing
but getting too attached to the patient with cancer can lead to a high risk of
burnout. Even though there are always ways to prevent burnout some would
strongly disagree.
I believe that one of the careers more susceptible to the
burnout syndrome would be that of oncology. However, authors Whippen and
Canellos strongly disagree by saying, “No significance was found between the
incidence of burnout and specialty within oncology” (Whippen and Canellos). They
believe that all careers experience burnout and oncology doesn’t qualify for
being any higher. How does that seem right? In the oncology department people
are getting connected. Patients with cancer who are there for treatment have no
guarantee that a cure will be found. It amazes me that people with cancer are
the ones with the positive outlooks on life. An example of this is with my mom.
Every Monday her and another gentleman with
lung cancer went to the same place at the same time. They talked for the
few hours they were there and really got to know one another. When he passed
away my mom was devastated. She knew what was coming and was able to cope with
it. My mom was the patient, she wasn’t the nurse. Nurses are there most days
with so many different patients really getting to know them. I do not
understand how people can say that oncology is not at a higher risk than other
careers.
Another rebuttal is that the burnout syndrome is to be
expected. Staff is working with patients of terminal illnesses. They experience
frequent depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and a low level of
satisfaction. (Harm Reduction Network) When this happens how do they overcome
it? Yes, there are always coping skills, meditation, etc but who is to say that
it won’t come back.
Once a person experiences the burnout syndrome there are
so many things to do but will that ever guarantee that it won’t come back? The
whole process will have to keep repeating. Things that will have to constantly
be at the forefront are: relaxation, exercise, balancing life, and managing all
of lifes challenges. (http://www.dzip.de/en/health/burnout/causes-of-burnout)
Taking care of another person makes someone so strong.
They have such a kind heart to be doing the type of work done to oncology
patients. Of course fatigue and burnout are going to set in but that does not
mean that you cannot overcome it. So the questions still stands, how do we
improve job burnout in the nursing field? The answer is pretty simple. The
health care provider must possess the right coping skills, have an eye for risk
factors, and know that the work being performed is changing someone’s life.
That should truly inspire you to make a different. If only we all had
viewpoints like patients with cancer do the world would be such a better place.
During this process I
decided I would talk with my uncle who is a Critical Care Nurse. I was able to
ask him several questions and in summary this was his response:
My uncle works as a Critical Care nurse in Detroit,
Michigan. He has worked there for over 20 years. While my mom was sick, he
moved in with my family and found a job near my house as a nurse. Since he has
taken care of sick people his whole life he has learned so much from it. Living
with my family for over two years was hard on him. He watched his sister in law
every day, who was sick with cancer. However, he was the biggest help to my
family. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to explain to my family the ins
and outs that were to come. He got us prepared. This would be especially true
for me and my brother. My brother is 14 years old. My uncle explained to my
brother in the best way that he could what was going on inside my mom’s body
and what it was doing to her. He is still so young that I’m not sure if he
fully understands it but because my uncle has had so much experience he thought
it would be best to let my brother know.
After my mom passed he helped both of us through the
grieving process which still has not stopped. I am not to the point where I’ve accepted
what has happened. I’m still in shock and angry but with my uncles help he
taught me that it is normal and everything will take time.
When it comes to my uncle working in the ICU he experiences
a lot of burnout. Along with workings nights he is always tired and fatigued. He
has great coping skills because if it weren’t for them he wouldn’t be alive
today. Working with such ill patients is an emotional strain. He takes frequent
vacations but those only help for so long. He has learned to accept the fact
that everything does happen for a reason. The people he takes care of were put
in front of him for one reason or another. He has learned from some and some
have learned from him.
Because of my mom, who was also a nurse, and my uncle I
know exactly what I want to do with my life. It’s going to be hard but with
those two by my side I’m sure I’ll get through anything.
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