Burnout among your nursing staff is more than an employee morale issue. Studies indicate overworked nurses are not only less effective, but they can even be dangerous to their patients. Clearly, you don’t want stress to lead to accidents or drops in patient care quality. If you’re afraid your nursing staff might be overworked, here are some steps you can take to prevent burnout.
Encourage Frequent Breaks
Though it might seem counterintuitive, regular breaks actually increase productivity. If you genuinely want your workers to get more done, you won’t force them to keep running all day long. Rather, you can improve both productivity and employee productivity at once by encouraging your staff to take a few minutes of personal time every hour or so. Meanwhile, these breaks will help them maintain their emotional health during difficult shifts.
Listen to Their Input
Job satisfaction has as much to do with the employer/employee relationship as it does with the workload itself. If your RNs don’t feel respected and heard by their supervisors, burnout and feelings of stress will escalate much more rapidly than they otherwise would. You can control this process by creating a respectful work environment where your employees feel valued.
Reward Their Achievements
Going out of your way to recognize an employee’s contributions is a powerful motivator. Remember, burnout is not merely a physical problem, but an emotional and mental one, as well. If your staff feels they are being fairly rewarded and recognized for their achievements, their hard work will not feel so demanding. Though a sincere “Good work!” is a great start, the prospect of more tangible rewards – such as bonuses or other prizes – will dramatically improve your overall morale.
Improve Your Staffing Ratios
No amount of praise or positivity can overcome bad staffing ratios. When your nurses have too many patients on their hands, they are risking more than just their emotional health. If your facility is dramatically understaffed, your nurses are at risk of making a mistake that could threaten their career. In a situation such as this, emotional strain and burnout are an inevitable consequence. You can protect both your facility’s reputation and your nurses’ mental well-being by ensuring adequate staffing at all times.
Partner with Expert Staffing!
At Expert Staffing, we are dedicated to helping you find solutions to your short-and long-term staffing demands. Our expert recruiters will work with you to match talented nurses and healthcare workers to your facility. To learn more about our comprehensive and cost-effective staffing strategies, contact us today.
