Addressing burnout by enhancing resilience in a professional workforce: A qualitative study
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the application and effectiveness of interventions with non-physician, professional management engineering and internal consulting staff experiencing increasing levels of burnout in a healthcare environment. We hypothesised that interventions could be applied to decrease levels of burnout in this professional population. A total of 120 engineering and consulting professionals across three locations of our institution received education during four one-day events over a two-year period regarding the symptoms and drivers of burnout, and interventions to decrease it. This education, along with skill-building exercises to promote resilience, was provided by leading subject matter experts in burnout reduction and was reinforced at the worksite by peers, leadership and validated supporting resources. Changes in burnout were assessed through responses to an institutional survey. Results indicated a meaningful absolute decrease in burnout of 12 per cent between 2013 and 2015. Additionally, qualitative feedback from staff supported the efficacy of the burnout and resilience programmes. Stress and burnout are ongoing issues in the workplace because they potentially affect productivity, effectiveness and well-being. Equipping staff to manage stress and burnout with the help of resilience education, skill building and worksite reinforcement will enhance resilience skills and decrease negative consequences of stress and burnout.
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Author's Biography
Michele R. Hoover is an assistant professor of healthcare systems engineering at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and also clinical practice section head in the Department of Management Engineering and Consulting, where she provides leadership for strategic planning, healthcare incident command system response and strategic initiatives in the inpatient, outpatient and community practices. Previous responsibilities include the development and implementation of the Mayo Clinic Quality Academy and Fellows Certification Program, the Mayo Clinic Value Creation System quality improvement frameworks and initiatives and national healthcare research initiatives. Before joining Mayo Clinic, Michele served in internal and external consulting roles as a leader and practitioner of strategic planning, organisational development, performance improvement, leadership development and change management at Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, GP Strategies and GE Healthcare Performance Solutions. Her passion is enabling performance excellence through holistic organisational systems solutions. Michele earned a master’s degree in human resource development at Xavier University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering at Purdue University.
Sarah R. Dhanorker is a manager in the Department of Management Engineering and Consulting (ME&C). She is an assistant professor of healthcare systems engineering at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and is an ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Sarah has over 12 years of experience leading clinical healthcare initiatives in the clinical practice on business operations, clinical quality, patient safety improvement and electronic medical record implementation. In her current role, she provides leadership to project managers and engineers supporting various projects at all Mayo Clinic sites. Sarah also provides leadership support to education and professional development and equity, inclusion and diversity efforts within ME&C. Sarah completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science and earned a master’s degree in health services administration from Florida International University. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and has received several awards, including Mayo Clinic Teamwork awards and the 2015 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award.
Citation
Kamath, Janine, Hoover, Michele R., Shanafelt, Tait, Sood, Amit, Mckee, Patrick B. and Dhanorker, Sarah R. (2017, October 1). Addressing burnout by enhancing resilience in a professional workforce: A qualitative study. In the Management in Healthcare: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, Volume 2, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/IDLZ4063.
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