What the term ‘nurse burnout’ misses

Becker's Healthcare November 6, 2024
Paige Twenter

There’s an issue with the term “nurse burnout,” according to Jane Dus, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer of Advocate Health’s Midwest region.

Occupational burnout has long existed in the healthcare industry, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of nurses pointed to burnout as a reason for leaving the profession.

Chronic workplace stress has also been linked to poor outcomes. In a meta-analysis of 85 studies including 288,581 nurses, researchers found an association between occupational burnout and lower patient safety grades, patient satisfaction scores and nurse-assessed quality of care; plus more nosocomial infections, patient falls, medication errors and adverse events.

One burnout study of 7,419 nurses, which McKinsey & Co. published in...

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