Remember a few months ago, our team put out a survey to help our audience of nurses check in with themselves as our industry is facing high turnover rates and burnout? Well, the time has come to share some valuable insights from this collection of data and really address why we need self-advocacy in our healthcare system.
Nurses in the field are facing increasing pressures. They are working more hours, seeing more patients, and spending less time with each of them. It's not uncommon to see nurses working 10-12 hour shifts while their colleagues work 16-hour shifts. The average nurse works an additional 14 hours per week outside of their scheduled shifts, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA). This includes NPs. How many times have you known an NP to bring the charting home so they can finish “off the clock”. That’s still working.
Nurse practitioners are some of the most hardworking and dedicated professionals in health care. They often put in long hours and take on a large caseload to meet the needs of their patients. And as you already know, these are only some of the reasons why we’re, which can have a negative impact on both professional and personal lives.
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So let’s get to the data.
We asked in our survey, how is your organization addressing burnout?
85% of all respondents stated that their organization was NOT addressing burnout. And a small 12% agreed that their organization has done some things to address this topic. But when we asked how, the answers were not what we expected.
“Time off is always granted when submitted for approval.”
“Making providers work only 4 days a week.”
“We have essential oils and events outside of work.”
“Hiring travel nurses to allow staff to rest after struggling with COVID for two years.”
“When I was bedside, staff sent us videos of meditation.”
“Wellness incentive rooms that offer free gym memberships, wellness coaches, and food.”
When promoted with a similar question, 70% of respondents stated they do not have the necessary tools to manage burnout and/or stress levels, compared to 24% who claimed yes.
But now let’s say if money was to become a factor in choosing to leave either your organization or healthcare altogether, would it make a difference? Interestingly enough, nurses were tied 50/50 in their answers, admitting that money is both a yes and no for them wanting to stay at their current organization.
Before we address these points, we also asked participants if they are wanting to leave the healthcare and nursing industry completely. 68% of respondents stated no, and 23% said yes, leaving 9% unsure or saying “maybe”.
Alternatively, when promoted, “If you could stay at your hospital and make slightly more money than your current pay with supportive administrative changes, would you still consider leaving your position?” 62% of all respondents said no.
So what exactly does all this data mean? It comes down to two things: nurses are in organizations that do not have the resources to support them and that is driving their spark for leaving the industry. It’s not about the money, or about the nursing industry, it’s about support.
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Now, imagine if we could provide nurse practitioners with the exact resources they are missing from their hospital or private practice organizations? Imagine if there were resources and tools besides just a complimentary gym and free food. We’re talking mentoring, networking, active participation groups where you can ask questions and get answers to help you, and most of all, consistent knowledge-based information to keep your nurse game strong. Let’s introduce three important assets: Mindfulness Practices, Shana T. on therapy, and The NP Collective.
Burnout Resource 1 - Mindfulness
Earlier last year, we pushed out a few mindfulness practices that you can consistently use in your everyday life. The first is a calendar of activities to help you plan initiatives that will help ease your stress and burnout level. The second is a quick activity to help you identify your values and how you can better align with them. These values will help you align your practice with healthcare.
Burnout Resource 2 - Therapy
Next, we introduced Shana T. to our exclusive NP Collective group earlier this month to help address therapy and why it’s an important resource all healthcare workers should leverage. Shana talked much about relationships and how the most important one is not with others, but with yourself.
Burnout Resource 3 - The NP Collective
Shana was an invited guest speaker for The NP Collective - a professional group of NPs that make our industry stronger with the necessary knowledge and tools in the forever-changing healthcare industry. As a collective, we offer networking opportunities with professionals and peers across the globe, mentorship, clinical education, and the skills to curate collaboration with colleagues that make this group the ultimate resource for aspiring NPs. For more information on The NP Collective and how you can join, please refer to this page here.
We understand that there are many things outside of work that can affect your mental health: family life, relationships, finances, or even just general stressors. Our goal is to provide you with connections in both your local and global community so that you can find support from others who are going through similar experiences in their daily lives. We hope these resources will bring you closer to achieving that balance in healthcare.