Burnout can cause mental, physical, and emotional harm to our well-being. Let’s review some questions about three articles that focus on burnout: the Ratcliff article, the MacDonald article, and the Hilty article.
- As you consider the issues regarding fatigue and technology-mediated practice, what
things occurred to you prior to reading these articles? Was this based on personal
experience, experiences of others you knew, or your own understanding of technology-
mediated practice?
Before reading the articles, the COVID pandemic immediately came to mind when I thought about technology-mediated practices. This connection may stem from the fact that the pandemic increased the reliance on technology for communication and healthcare. Many people in the medical field experienced significant fatigue from constantly answering video calls and trying to navigate the various technologies being used to facilitate these consultations. There were numerous apps to download, and for some, it became a strain to understand how to set up and use these tools. I know a friend who is a doctor and shared her experience working in urgent care. The challenge of managing patients who chose to come into the office versus those who opted for telehealth added to the burnout, as it required constant shifts back and forth between different modes of care.
- In looking at the continuum from health to burnout in Hilty, et.al, Fig 2, which of the four
areas resonated most with you? Why? How would you prevent moving from health to
burnout in that area?
One of the four areas that resonate with me is attitude/outlook. I believe that having a positive attitude leads to great outcomes. To prevent burnout, it’s important to reflect on your attitude and outlook, especially when things don’t go as planned. You should always have a Plan B ready, and if that doesn’t work, have a Plan C. By doing this, you will be prepared to handle any issues that arise, which can help prevent burnout. Most importantly, rest is essential. Amid all these plans, taking time to rest is crucial for maintaining both your mind and body to avoid burnout.
- In Table 2 of Hilty, et.al., they discuss the human factor related to tech fatigue. Select
one issue in each of the four areas (tech and office, training, clinical care, human factors)
and talk about how you might face that issue personally and how you would most likely
address it to prevent tech fatigue.
**Evidence and Findings: Fitness vs. Fatigue** I believe that staying fit is crucial when it comes to managing fatigue. Maintaining a positive outlook and considering our emotional health are essential aspects of this. We can nurture our emotional well-being by spending time with those who bring us joy, participating in community activities like church, or simply taking time for ourselves. Physical fitness also plays a significant role, as it can help prevent feelings of bloating, heaviness, and overall unhealthiness. When we feel confident in ourselves, we are less likely to experience fatigue. Manifestation is another important concept to consider. It involves focusing on our concerns and personal goals. Manifesting means believing that positive experiences can occur and having faith that they will. This mindset can help alleviate feelings of fatigue by fostering a continuous positive outlook for the future. **Analysis: Personal and Group Evaluation** I believe that personal and group evaluations are vital for understanding the factors contributing to fatigue. Self-analysis allows us to identify what changes we can make to avoid feelings of fatigue. Group evaluation can be equally important, as it involves assessing our family, work, and friend groups to pinpoint issues that need to be addressed in order to prevent burnout, both individually and collectively. **Individual User Adjustment: Localizing the Problem** Identifying the specific concerns that lead to fatigue is a critical step in reducing future issues. By recognizing these concerns, we can take proactive measures to prevent them from escalating within ourselves or in our workplace.
- When you read the opinions of the clinicians in the MacDonald article, which reactions
resonated for you? Why? Do you see yourself engaging in remote, technology-
mediated practice? Why or why not?
Social Work 8 really resonated with me. The emphasis on the importance of sleep and exercising more is something I’m currently seeking in my life. With my 9 to 5 job and the additional workload of reading and writing papers, I can feel burnout approaching. I am actively looking for remote jobs because I believe this change will help alleviate my stress. I would particularly be interested in a remote position that involves technology-mediated practice. This type of role would allow me to take better care of myself without being overwhelmed by constant interactions, unlike my current job. In a technology-based position, I could schedule specific time slots for client appointments, which would reduce the feeling of being overstimulated by multiple people vying for my attention.
- Ratcliff provides a definition of burnout and also some suggested solutions for self care.
What did you think of her definitions of burnout? Did they seem accurate in your
experience? She mentions a number of studies and writings. Did you feel motivated to
read any of them? Why? Have you ever taken the MBI (Maslach Burnout Inventory)?
Would you like to? Why?
- Did you think any of the suggestions Ratcliff provided were useful in preventing
burnout? If not, why not? What other suggestions do you think she could have
included?
Ms. Toya,
I enjoyed reading your blog. I agree that self-care is really important and also staying active and healthy. You also talked about staying positive and working from home in order to reduce stress and I couldn’t agree more. As you have mentioned, optism goes a long way and also planning for those obstacles and whenever there’s an end to an assignment or possibly your passion and willingness to continue in that job skillset. I used to be a “worker-bee” on my part-time job as a security supervisor. I would work on the holidays for my coworkers with smaller children, at the time I did not have children, and I would often say “I will rest when I’m dead”. However, I had a rude awalening after working two double shifts back-to-back and I was so sick for days. I made a promised to never work so much that I am not getting enough rest, eating enough nutrients and healthy foods, and not taking care of myself the way I should be. I also agree that we need to spend time with family and friends as much as we can. Most people have very busy lives and we often have to schedule time to spend together. I agree that laughter, comfort foods, enjoying the company of others, and having fun are keys to happiness, peace, and a serene life. I recently scheduled a “cousin” day with one of my cousins. She and I have had a cousin day since we were kids and not that we are in our “seasoned” years, we’re still getting together, playing “hookie” from work and having a spa day! I can truly relate to your post!
Hey Toya,
I really liked how you brought up the pandemic and how it pushed everything online. That part definitely took me back too. I can imagine how tiring it must have been for your friend in urgent care constantly switching between telehealth and in-person patients. Your point about attitude and outlook stood out to me. I love that you mentioned rest right alongside it because sometimes we focus so much on pushing through that we forget rest is part of staying well. I’m guilty of it myself. And your take on the MBI made me laugh because literally same, sometimes reading more studies just feels like more work. That part about calling in for a mental health day was real. Sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to reset. Great post, hope you’re having a great semester as well 🙂
I completely agree with your reflections, especially the connection you made between the pandemic and the rise of technology-mediated practices. That period really highlighted how dependent we’ve become on technology, and I could relate to your example of your friend in urgent care feeling burned out from switching between in-person and virtual care. Your focus on attitude and outlook as a way to prevent burnout also stood out to me. Having a flexible mindset and being prepared with multiple plans truly helps maintain balance when things don’t go as expected.
Latoya,
Indeed the pandemic changed a great deal. I am sure it was difficult for your friend to go back and forth between in-person and tell health. I think we have gotten better at managing the schedule of each so that doesn’t happen as much, and I also think it is much less the option in emergency or urgent care. Al though, as I say that, the remote doctor access has exploded, so I guess that isn’t necessarily the case. But now I tend to hear more about wanting to go back to a more hybrid approach, so you at least have some face to face contact with people. I guess we are all still trying to find our way.
I also think it’s interesting that you are looking toward remote work to get away from the intensity of face to face contact. I suspect this might be more about the volume of your workload, as opposed toe the mode, but I sure understand what you mean. While I understand not wanting to add to you to do list, you might want to think about the burn out issues, because technology will be part of your worklife in this profession, and you will need to understand why it comes at a cost. Not saying right this minute – but keep the concept in mind.
I think when it comes right down to it, you are really talking about what so many of us are struggling to find – balance. And if it was easy to achieve, we wouldn’t need these burnout articles. We all start with good intentions. It’s the execution that is the problem. Just like you start wanting your 9 to 5 job to go smoothly. There are lots os factors that come into play,. That was really the point of these articles.
Also, if you go to the right side menus when you are writing your blog post, at the very bottom is something called Set Featured Image. If you click that, you can upload your image to the media library and then make it your featured image. That will place it right at the top of your post and we can all see it better.
Dr P