Covid-19 makes Clinician Burnout Rise

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, rates of nurse and physician burnout have continued to grow, according to a new analysis from the KLAS Research Arch Collaborative. Although electronic health records – which have been linked to burnout in past research – were mentioned, physicians also highlighted chaotic workspaces, after-hours workloads, and too many bureaucratic duties as important contributors. Staffing shortages in the healthcare business are increasing the pressure on hiring managers and decision-makers to attract and retain professionals.

Surprisingly, the KLAS research indicates that the number of nurses who believe they are likely to leave their organisation over the next two years has grown since the outbreak began. This increase is more than that seen in other physician roles, and it has gotten worse in the last six months, rising from around 20% to around 25%. EHRs or other digital tools affecting efficiency was one of the main drivers to burnout, but physicians have noted it less frequently since the beginning of the epidemic.

Meanwhile, physicians are more inclined than ever to blame burnout on a hectic work environment, and nurses are more likely to blame after-hours duties than they were before Covid-19. Lack of collaboration and lack of personal workload control are two more issues that have increased in frequency since the start of the pandemic.

The report also looked at the link between contributors and physician burnout intensity. After-hours workload, personal control over workload, quantity of bureaucratic duties, and a chaotic workplace are some specific contributors that are now more suggestive that a specific physician is experiencing a higher degree of burnout.