[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/health-care-system-causing-dangerous-burnout-among-doctors-and-nurses\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/health-care-system-causing-dangerous-burnout-among-doctors-and-nurses\/","headline":"Health Care System Causing Dangerous Burnout Among Doctors and Nurses","name":"Health Care System Causing Dangerous Burnout Among Doctors and Nurses","description":"Changes in the nation\u2019s health care system are taking a physical, emotional, and psychological toll on doctors, nurses, and other clinicians, who show \u201csubstantial symptoms of burnout,\u201d according to a\u00a0National Academy of Medicine report\u00a0published in October. Burnout affects 35 percent to 54 percent of nurses and physicians in the United States, according to\u00a0Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A...","datePublished":"2020-01-15","dateModified":"2026-05-07","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/author\/kelley-johnson\/#Person","name":"Kelley Johnson","url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/author\/kelley-johnson\/","identifier":35,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62ea8bbf737d997a737de0b59d28a202a2f010bc1081f2ca6f356f6d9949be07?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62ea8bbf737d997a737de0b59d28a202a2f010bc1081f2ca6f356f6d9949be07?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Medmalpractice-Logo-1.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Medmalpractice-Logo-1.svg","width":0,"height":0}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/health-care-system-causing-dangerous-burnout-among-doctors-and-nurses.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/health-care-system-causing-dangerous-burnout-among-doctors-and-nurses.jpg","height":200,"width":300},"url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/health-care-system-causing-dangerous-burnout-among-doctors-and-nurses\/","about":["The Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson News"],"wordCount":619,"articleBody":"Changes in the nation\u2019s health care system are taking a physical, emotional, and psychological toll on doctors, nurses, and other clinicians, who show \u201csubstantial symptoms of burnout,\u201d according to a\u00a0National Academy of Medicine report\u00a0published in October.Burnout affects 35 percent to 54 percent of nurses and physicians in the United States, according to\u00a0Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being, which compiled information from a variety of studies. Among medical students and medical residents, these estimates range from 45 percent to 60 percent, the report\u2019s highlights state.\u201cBurnout\u201d isn\u2019t a medical diagnosis but a special type of work-related stress, according to the\u00a0Mayo Clinic. The clinic defines burnout as \u201ca state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.\u201dIn the National Academy of Medicine report, signs of burnout include \u201chigh depersonalization\u201d or cynicism, in addition to emotional exhaustion and a low sense of accomplishment on the job.What Causes Burnout in Health Care Workers?In a nutshell, an imbalance between job demands and resources is responsible for the burnout in doctors and nurses, as well as medical students and trainees, researchers said.In addition to the general concern and pressure of providing patient care, clinicians must maintain meticulous records and keep up with clerical duties, which many of them are not well-trained to manage, adds the\u00a0National Institutes of Health.A \u201cwell-intentioned, perfectly reasonable law\u201d becomes a regulation that\u2019s interpreted into a policy, becoming more complex down the line, co-author Vindell Washington, chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana,\u00a0told\u00a0The Washington Post.\u00a0For instance, a law about patient privacy evolves into a doctor\u2019s computer terminal ending its session every few minutes, requiring the doctor to log in repeatedly throughout the day, which adds stress and frustration.\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly inefficient, and the workload is unsustainable,\u201d Liselotte Dyrbye, another co-author who is a doctor and researcher at the Mayo Clinic, added in\u00a0The Washington Post. \u201cThe system is built for billing and not taking care of patients.\u201dThe Risks for Providers and PatientsThe risks to medical personnel are well-documented, with the\u00a0suicide rate among U.S. physicians\u00a0higher than that of any other profession, along with problems such as occupational injury and alcohol abuse.The Mayo Clinic reports that symptoms of burnout include:A change in sleep habitsUnexplained headaches, or stomach or bowel problemsLethargyUsing food, drugs, or alcohol to \u201cfeel better\u201d or to \u201csimply not feel\u201dDifficulty concentratingIrritabilityImpatienceBeing noticeably critical or cynicalBurnout among doctors and nurses can also encroach on a patient\u2019s time and care, the report states. A clinician may be distracted or frequently interrupted, disrupting the focus on the patient. This can result in a patient seeing more than one physician as clinicians pick up colleagues\u2019 workloads, as well as medical errors and malpractice lawsuits.Financially, burnout already costs the nation\u2019s medical system $4.6 billion related to doctors reducing their hours, quitting their jobs, or leaving medicine altogether, according to a study cited in the report.The report recommends more training at medical and nursing schools for dealing with burnout, better monitoring of clinicians\u2019 well-being, and reducing or eliminating overlapping regulations and paperwork.Need Legal Advice? Contact a Malpractice AttorneyIf you or a loved one has been injured due to medical errors caused by a doctor\u2019s or nurse\u2019s burnout, the\u00a0Indianapolis medical malpractice lawyer at the Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson is here to help. We have nearly 20 years of litigation experience and the knowledge and skills needed to investigate possible medical mistakes. Please call us now for a free case evaluation."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Health Care System Causing Dangerous Burnout Among Doctors and Nurses","item":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/health-care-system-causing-dangerous-burnout-among-doctors-and-nurses\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]