NURS – 6053N Module 1: Healthcare Environment Discussion Essay

NURS – 6053N Module 1: Healthcare Environment Discussion Essay

NURS – 6053N Module 1: Healthcare Environment Discussion Essay

In the year 2012, the Archives of Internal Medicine conducted a study looking into over 7,200 American physicians and noted that almost half of them reported some kind of symptoms of burnout, making physicians at high risk as compared to other American workers. A similar study was conducted in 2015, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, revealing that the prevalence of burnout increased by 9% among American doctors between the years 2011 and 2014 (Cotel et al., 2021). As a result of burnout, studies report that 39% of doctors report depression and approximately 400 doctors die every year by suicide, which accounts for twice the rate of the general population (Gonçalves et al., 2019). Nurses have also recorded an increased rate of depression and burnout in addition to an increased rate of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

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Impact of Burnout

            The increased rate of burnout among physicians and nurses has greatly impacted patients’ health. Research shows that burnout increases the risks of healthcare-associated infections and medical errors. Burnout can also impact patient access, with high turnover rates and increased odds of stopping medicine altogether. For instance, a study carried out by Bradley and Chahar (2020) shows that there is a projected possibility ofa shortage ofprimary care physicians by 2030, with over 35.000 positions being empty. Researchers and advocates claim that the data which points to systematic problems demands policymakers and health systems to consider carefully the rate at which the work environment is leading to burnout, driving healthcare providers out of their profession and into mental problems.

Medical errors as a result of increased burnout carrya heavy financial burden to the healthcare organization. Recent research revealed that medical errors in clinics and hospitals across the United States cost approximately $ 20 billion every year, in addition to about 100,000 deaths yearly (Gonçalves et al., 2019). In addition to the costs associated with financial damages or malpractice suits, solving these medical errors means prolonging the period for patient stay, which sometimes involves no additional cost to the patient depending on the medical error. As such, healthcare providers end up spending most of the time providing care which they will not bill, in addition to patients occupying beds that would have otherwise been used to generate revenue. Generally, burnout is associated with an increased financial burden, medical errors, and reduced quality of care.

Generally, burnout is associated with decreased job satisfaction, clinician turnover, cynicism, and absenteeism. Such effects have been reported among clinicians promoting symptoms such as depression, anxiety, feeling unhappy, substance abuse, isolation, and broken relationships among others (Montgomery et al., 2019). Consequently, burnout among physicians has been associated with a significant professional impact which negatively influences the quality of care provided. Just as mentioned earlier, potential malpractice suits increased the financial burden of the organization as a result of medical errors resulting from clinician burnouts.

Response to Burnout

            To mitigate the increased rate of burnout in this organization, several steps were taken to offer better support to healthcare providers’ wellbeing. For instance, the organization stresses the provision of a better understanding of the challenges impacting clinicians’ well-being, promoting the visibility of stress and burnout among healthcare providers, and lastly heartening evidence-based solutions(Gonçalves et al., 2019). A conceptual model was created of all the interrelated factors which contribute to healthcare provider resilience and well-being. Consequently, a physician well-being program was developed to measure the providers well being and provide time to speak to the physicians about the problem (Livne & Goussinsky, 2018). The program was to be utilized each year in surveying all clinicians within the organization about their work environment and making necessary changes to promote their well-being.

Standard order sets were created to help reduce the rate of burnout. Consequently, the organization went ahead and provided support to responsive information technology in addition to reducing the required activities. Clinicians were provided with time during the workday to enhance workflow by completing documentation and finding the collected patient data into electronic health records (Montgomery et al., 2019). The organization also made sure that it offered part-time or flexible work schedules for all clinicians to promote resting time, hence reducing the rate of burnout.Leaders also utilized models which support work-home balance for clinicians in addition to hiring floating providers to cover for the unexpected employee leave. Building workplace teams was also necessary for addressing workflow issues and improvingthe quality of patient care(Bradley & Chahar, 2020). The organization made sure that the values align between leaders and clinicians to promote communication and understanding.

Implemented Changes

Implementation of the patient-centered medical home is associated with improved physician satisfaction hence a reduced rate of burnout(Livne, & Goussinsky, 2018). A study conducted by theAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ)in 26 clinics in the United States revealed that lowering clinicians panel size to 1800 patients raises the flexibility for long patient visits and lowers the number of face-to-face patient visits per day (Gonçalves et al., 2019). This also leads to increased work satisfaction among clinicians, hence reducing the rates of burnout.

Additional implemented changes include: scheduling monthly clinicians meetings focusing on clinical topics of work-life issues after surveyingwhat topics the staff memberswould like to be addressed; enhancing teamwork through depression and diabetes screening quality improvement projects to involve office staff, and reducing pressure on clinicians responsible for all aspects of care; and allowing medical assistants to enter patients information into electronic health records, locate medical forms and send faxes so that physicians can have more face-to-face time with their patients (Bradley & Chahar, 2020). All the above interventions led to improved care outcomes for most clinicians, suggesting the need for implementing interventions that directly address the perception and concerns of clinicians.

Conclusion

The rate of burnout among healthcare professionals has been on the rise over the years greatly impacting clinicians, their patients, and practice in general. Factors such as short visits, lack of control, complicated patients, poor work-home balance, and electronic health record stress can make clinicians leave their practice, leading to staff shortages. Physician burnout has also been associated with poor patient outcomes and increased financial burden to the organization. However, several interventions have been implemented by most healthcare organizations in response to burnout. Such interventions focus on improving the workflow of clinicians and promoting their well-being. Physician well-being program is designed to survey and address issues affecting the well-being of clinicians in the hospital environment. However, future changes are aimed at identifying and implementing interventions that directly address the problems reported by specific physicians.

References

Bradley, M., & Chahar, P. (2020). Burnout of healthcare providers during COVID-19. Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine.DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.87a.ccc051

Cotel, A., Golu, F., Pantea Stoian, A., Dimitriu, M., Socea, B., Cirstoveanu, C., … & Oprea, B. (2021, March). Predictors of burnout in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 3, p. 304). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030304

Gonçalves, A., Fontes, L., Simães, C., & Gomes, A. R. (2019). Stress and burnout in health professionals. In Occupational and environmental safety and health (pp. 563-571). Springer, Cham.ISBN : 978-3-030-14729-7

Livne, Y., & Goussinsky, R. (2018). Workplace bullying and burnout among healthcare employees: The moderating effect of control‐related resources. Nursing & health sciences, 20(1), 89-98.https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12392

Montgomery, A., Panagopoulou, E., Esmail, A., Richards, T., & Maslach, C. (2019). Burnout in healthcare: the case for organizational change. BMJ, 366.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4774

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NURS – 6053N
Module 1: Healthcare Environment (Weeks 1-2)Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues.2 Peer Respond. Due on 12/1/21
If you were to ask 10 people what they believe to be the most significant issue facing healthcare today, you might get 10 different answers. Escalating costs? Regulation? Technology disruption?
These and many other topics are worthy of discussion. Not surprisingly, much has been said in the research, within the profession, and in the news about these topics. Whether they are issues of finance, quality, workload, or outcomes, there is no shortage of changes to be addressed.
In this Discussion, you examine a national healthcare issue and consider how that issue may impact your work setting. You also analyze how your organization has responded to this issue.
To Prepare:
• Review the Resources and select one current national healthcare issue/stressor to focus on.
• Reflect on the current national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and think about how this issue/stressor may be addressed in your work setting.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a description of the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for analysis, and explain how the healthcare issue/stressor may impact your work setting. Then, describe how your health system work setting has responded to the healthcare issue/stressor, including a description of what changes may have been implemented. Be specific and provide examples.