How Nursing Burnout Affects Nursing

Many nurses have to perform at high levels, develop relationships with numerous patients and maintain focus for long shifts. The workload can cause burnout, a psychological condition in which nurses become overly stressed and exhausted from work to the point where they completely lose the motivation, energy and focus required to fulfill the job. Nursing burnout often also affects the facilities and the patients.

Absenteeism

• New nurses are usually highly motivated and enthusiastic when they begin working. However, stress, fatigue and exhaustion can cause job dissatisfaction and diminish motivation and energy. Many nurses who suffer from burnout are absent from work more often than usual and sometimes make excuses to miss work. When nurses who have exhibited absenteeism show up at work, they tend to be indifferent, apathetic and not as productive.

Loss of Connections

• Forging close relationships with patients is an essential skill of good nurses. However, nurses suffering from burnout can lose a sense of connection with their patients. The lack of emotional and psychological bonds causes the nurses to no longer develop strong relationships with their patients, decreasing the quality of care.

Mistakes

• Alertness and energy are required for nurses to accomplish their jobs. Burnout impairs a nurse's ability to safely and effectively provide medical care to patients and can lead to mistakes and accidents, ranging from sloppy paperwork to incorrect treatment.

Patients

• Other nurses often will have to work harder and stay longer to compensate for the lack of production or the mistakes made by nurses affected by burnout. The health care facilities also feel the effects. However, the most serious result of nursing burnout is that the patients receive a diminished quality of care. Careless mistakes made by nurses suffering from burnout can have serious consequences on the patients.