8 March - 2023IN MY OPINIONWhen we consider the challenges posed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commitment and drive that typically encourage health care workers to join this field were the same traits that helped us weather the first wave. However, the willingness to give up ourselves to care for others was challenged during the long hours, shortages of supplies to keep caregivers safe and the acuity of our patients. All of these factors contributed to the exhaustion that our nurses faced. Because nurses most often put others first, the lack of self-care, high demands and length of time working in less-than-optimal conditions have caused burnout, and nurses are leaving their organizations and the profession at record rates. Burnout has always been a concern in health care because of the high demands on our care teams. The demand of this job is not only physical, but also mental and emotional. Burnout occurs when stress and exhaustion are not managed over a long period of time. While we see different statistics, we are all aware that our frontline care team members have suffered greatly from burnout. The emotional trauma over the past two years is comparable to being in war with little support to assist, causing uncertainties on how to cope with what is being endured. We continue to see nurses leaving the workforce in alarming numbers. In 2021, turnover and vacancy rates were the highest recorded compared to the sixteen years of benchmarking as reported by The Advisory Board. (2) This has been highest with our bedside nurses who have continued to endure the largest stressors The Cost ofBurned Out StaffBy Patti Hart, Chief Nursing Officer, Medical University of South CarolinaPatti Hart
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