Burnout in Healthcare: Why Self-Care Isn't Enough
Burnout and healthcare seem to go hand in hand. If you work in healthcare, you've probably heard the same message over and over: “Prevent burnout by practicing self-care.”
While vacations, workouts, and massages are absolutely helpful, they're often a band-aid solution to a much deeper issue.
People who work in healthcare usually choose this profession because they genuinely care about others. They want to be the best nurse, care technician, dietitian, physical therapist, provider, or healthcare professional they can be. They want to make a difference.
But often, that's not how they actually feel once they're in the field.
There's a mismatch between what they expected healthcare to be and what it actually becomes. Many healthcare workers spend their days working beyond their capacity while still feeling like they aren't doing enough. Over time, that leads to frustration, resentment, and sometimes even anger.
So what actually leads to burnout in healthcare?
Is it the long hours? The patients? The emotional toll? The physical demands? Feeling taken advantage of? Sensory overload?
The answer is usually all of the above.
In my personal experience working as a floor inpatient nurse, one of the biggest contributors to burnout was the sheer number of expectations placed on one person.
During a single shift, I was trying to meet the expectations of my patients, their family members, managers, the hospital, providers, and coworkers. The problem? Those expectations often opposed each other.
While you're busy trying to meet everyone else's expectations, you slowly lose yourself.
No matter how hard you work, someone is still waiting. Someone is still unhappy. Something is still unfinished.
Eventually, you start feeling like you aren't enough.
So how do healthcare workers combat this?
Self-care? Absolutely. You should take vacations, exercise, spend time with people you love, and make space for yourself whenever you can.
But does that help you in the moment?
When every task feels like the weight of the world.
When your phone rings and you immediately cringe.
When you snap at a coworker because you're running on empty.
When you're emotionally exhausted before your shift even begins.
Self-care matters, but it's often not enough.
One of the first places I encourage healthcare workers to start is with boundaries.
There's so much to say about boundaries that it deserves its own conversation, but for now I'll keep it simple.
Boundaries in healthcare are hard, but they are possible. They also don't have to be rigid. The more consistent you are with your boundaries, the more people begin to understand and respect them.
As a previously burned-out healthcare worker myself, I also know this conversation can bring up a lot of emotions. Sometimes it feels like you're working within an impossible system. I want to acknowledge that. Some days, these boundaries simply aren't possible, and that isn't a personal failure.
Here are a few examples of boundaries that may help:
I don't take my work phone on my lunch break.
If it's safely possible, I take a lunch break every shift.
I don't participate in work group chats that increase my stress outside of work hours.
I don't pick up overtime simply because I feel guilty.
I don't start working until I clock in.
If you're reading this and thinking, I already have these boundaries and I'm still burned out, that makes complete sense.
Boundaries are only one piece of the puzzle.
Instead of asking yourself, "Why am I so burned out?" try asking yourself, "What parts of my job create the most resentment and fatigue?"
Your answer might tell you far more than another bubble bath ever could.
And that's exactly what we'll talk about next.
Hi! I’m Allison Ritter, CIT
I work with adults whose lives have become smaller because of anxiety, isolation, or major life transitions.
I help my clients reconnect with themselves, build meaningful relationships and create a life guided by their values instead of their fears.
