Healthcare's Burnout Crisis

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Welcome to your first issue of Daily Jam’s HR in Healthcare series! We're thrilled to launch this newsletter at such a pivotal moment for healthcare.

Without further ado – let’s dive straight into our first topic!

Healthcare's Burnout Breaking Point

While the COVID-19 pandemic may be behind us, its aftermath has left a troubling legacy in healthcare: unprecedented levels of burnout among workers, with half of American physicians reporting burnout in the past two years and almost one-quarter of nurses considering leaving the profession.

This week, we dive deep into the cyclical crisis of healthcare worker burnout and staffing shortages that's causing labor costs to rise by 25% and reshaping the U.S. healthcare system.

Inside This Edition

• The real costs of a broken healthcare workforce and shockingly high turnover rates

• 480 clinicians speak – the surprising link between leadership trust and burnout

• 8 proven strategies top healthcare organizations are using to break the burnout cycle

• Your first free download! 📕 

🗞️ In case you missed it: A new payment model to boost physician recruitment, streamlining medical documentation using AI, a bold Federal paid leave proposal, and more.

Read on to discover how healthcare leaders can build a more resilient workforce and restore trust in the sector.

SPREAD FOR YOU
📢 BURNOUT EMERGENCY

The COVID pandemic is over, but healthcare sector burnout is alive and kicking. This “occupational syndrome” – characterized by a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion after exposure to prolonged and intense stress – is the symptom of deep systemic issues.

The figures are staggering. Half of American physicians have experienced burnout in the past two years. Rates soar to 60% in internal medicine and 65% in emergency medicine. Shockingly,  23% of nurses (+8% vs 2023) report they are very likely to leave the sector. 

Addressing this problem by simply replacing staff is adding fuel to an already blazing inferno – the annual cost of which is estimated at $9 billion for nurses alone.

The Cycle of Burnout and Turnover

Hospitals and health systems are paying $24 billion more annually for clinical care than before the COVID-19 pandemic, yet turnover rates continue to rise like a dangerous fever.

A recent benchmark report found the industry average turnover rate within 90 days after hiring is 13.5%, with smaller organizations averaging close to 15%. Outside the first 90 days, figures skyrocket to over 20%.

Healthcare Needs Fixing

Healthcare’s burnout crisis – an emergency in an industry where 87% of providers recognize staffing shortages as their top challenge – demands systemic changes at all levels. Leadership, policies, and culture, all intertwined, contribute to the phenomenon.

Continue reading to discover why leaders need to take more responsibility for burnout, and get actionable tips to bring your workforce back from the burnout brink.

ROOT CAUSES
LEADERSHIP TO BLAME?

What really drives burnout in healthcare? New research analyzing data from 480+ clinicians reveals a surprising answer: trust in leadership is a critical factor.

The numbers tell a striking story…

When clinicians trust their leadership, burnout levels remain moderate:

• 41% report modest burnout

• 25% experience minimal burnout

• Only 11% face very high burnout levels

But when trust breaks down completely, the picture darkens dramatically:

• 55% suffer very high burnout

• 27% report high burnout

Combined, that's 82% of clinicians experiencing severe burnout in low-trust environments. 

Perhaps most concerning is the current state of trust in healthcare.

So how can healthcare organizations break the burnout cycle that undermines talent retention and puts the industry on the brink of collapse? 

We cover this in our next section, where you will find 8 actionable strategies that leading healthcare organizations are using to tackle burnout head-on.

ACTIONABLE TIPS
YOUR WORKFORCE NEEDS A CHECKUP

8 Strategies To Address Workers’ Burnout and Improve Staff Retention

How can healthcare organizations break the burnout cycle that undermines talent retention and puts the industry on the brink of collapse? 

1. Rebuilding trust

Healthcare leaders are primarily responsible for rebuilding trust and restoring value & purpose in the industry. Recognizing workers' clinical autonomy and creating feedback mechanisms for frontline workers creates an inclusive culture rooted in trust and employee empowerment – reducing feelings of isolation and lifting team morale.

2. Holding leadership accountable

Healthcare organizations can include well-being metrics in leadership roles compensation to hold leaders accountable for promoting healthcare workers' well-being. Another rising strategy is creating leadership positions, such as the Chief Wellness Officer, to solidify commitments.

4. Co-designing burnout prevention programs:

Empowering workers to participate in developing policies and programs that impact their work, including burnout prevention programs, ensures their diverse perspectives are considered and contributes to rebuilding mutual trust and respect.

Did you know? 9 in 10 clinicians say it’s important for healthcare organizations to involve frontline staff when developing programs to prevent workforce burnout and shortages.

5. Raising pay and addressing inequities

Financial stress contributes to burnout and is the number one factor pushing healthcare workers to consider changing jobs. Actively address wage inequities to prevent the loss of talent and reduce long-term labor & hiring expenses.  

6. Leveraging tech to reduce administrative burdens

Streamline administrative tasks with technology and AI to reduce time spent on documentation and enable professionals to dedicate more time to patient care and their primary roles.

Did you know? For every hour of direct patient care, physicians currently spend 2 hours on the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

7. Implementing mental health screenings and regular check-ins

Gauge burnout levels and address issues before they escalate with routine mental health screenings and check-ins. Include questionnaires and mental health assessments as part of regular check-ins to identify those who may need additional support. Proactive measures allow early intervention and prevent burnout from worsening.

8. Providing access to mental health resources and counseling

Ensure access to counseling and therapy. Support your workforce via Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and subsidized (or free) mental health services. The 2024 Deloitte Global Health Care Sector Outlook showed these resources build a workforce that is better equipped to handle the demands of their role, improve well-being, and strengthen organizational resilience.

The key is commitment: successful programs require sustained leadership buy-in, adequate resource allocation, and regular evaluation of outcomes.

BONUS RESOURCES
📕 AUTOMATED HR: SAVE TIME & BOOST EFFECTIVENESS

The Guide, “Useful Generative AI Prompts for HR,” is your practical roadmap to working smarter, not harder. Inside, you'll find ready-to-use prompts for:

• Creating engaging wellness programs that actually work

• Developing clear, comprehensive policies

• Designing effective employee surveys

• Gathering meaningful feedback on policy proposals

• Crafting retention strategies

• Writing job descriptions that attract top talent

• And much more!

Whether you're new to AI or already using it in your workflow, this guide will help you automate routine tasks and free up time for what matters most: supporting your healthcare workforce.

Download your copy here →

Read on to discover the latest news and top stories you might have missed!

TOP PICKS FOR YOU
🗞️ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

More time off for workers?

A University of Michigan Professor and The Hamilton Project combine forces to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to guarantee federal paid time off for workers, allowing them to accrue up to 80 hours of paid leave annually. Read more →

Is it time to rethink physician compensation?

The BC Ministry of Health developed the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model in consultation with BC Family Doctors and Doctors of BC. An alternative to the fee-for-service model, the LFP payment model is a blended model to support physicians in family practice who provide longitudinal family medicine care. Read more →

Need to automate repetitive tasks to give physicians more one-on-one time with patients? 

The Augmedix app can be used on a hands-free device to create accurate and timely medical notes from conversations with patients. Augmedix’s proprietary platform leverages medical speech-to-text processing, to instantly convert conversation data into medical notes, which physicians review and finalize before they are transferred in real-time to the hospital’s electronic health record (EHR). Read more →

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