5 causes of nurse practitioner burnout

Lack of self-care.

Self-care is so important to overcome the causes of nurse practitioner burnout. As nurse practitioners, our work day is filled with so much information and task completion that we end up with decision fatigue and mental exhaustion. As NPs, we have very important jobs and we need to do our best for these patients. But the work as a nurse practitioner wears on our mental, physical, and emotional health. It is important to rest and recharge after a busy workday. Our bodies and minds need to rest.

The best way to implement self-care is to prioritize it into our daily routines. It does not have to be exercising or massages everyday. Self-care can look like going out to supper with friends, going for a quiet walk in the park, or even sitting on the couch binge watching the latest Netflix series.

Nurse practitioners should choose activities that fuel them up! They should choose what self-care activity fills up their cup so that they can care for others. Check out Chart Lyfe resources to find more ways healthcare providers can care for themselves!

Modern healthcare system.

Healthcare has changed in many ways for healthcare providers. Nurse practitioners who used to be able to care for the patient as a whole, are now facing new challenges. There is push to see more patients, sicker patients at 15 minute appointments (sometimes even double booked!).

Insurance companies dictate what diagnostic test we are able to order. Insurance determines what medication is “preferred” and yet it is still too expensive for our patients. Healthcare providers spend a lot of time completing prior auths and paperwork just to get care that the patient needs.

Not to mention, many clinics, hospitals, and healthcare institutions are trying to function while short staffed. There is a lack of medical assistants (MAs), nurses, even front office staff. This creates added roles that many nurse practitioners have to take on themselves. Some nurse practitioners are required to check in their own patients, draw labs or run point of care testing, and respond to patient phone calls.

A lot of nurse practitioners schedule referrals for patients or complete prior auths through the patient’s insurance. These tasks could be completed by support staff. Instead, nurse practitioners sacrifice their own time and energy to complete these duties. It’s no wonder nurse practitioners have a lack of work-life balance and struggle with the causes of nurse practitioner burnout.