Burnout is a concerning issue in the nursing speciality, which has devastated the practice to formidable levels. Burnout can be conceptualized as extreme weariness and fatigue when nurses clock extensive working durations without rest. Also, burnout can be conceptualized as having a heavy workload against poor working conditions or a strict deadline. The nursing speciality is both physically and intellectually involved. Many healthcare systems across the globe have braced the issues. They are trying to bridge the gaps in their healthcare infrastructure by improving staffing ratios and automation to distribute the workload effectively. If burnout is not addressed correctly, there is a considerable risk of losing vital healthcare specialists to depression, fatigue and emotional damage.
History of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) have been around for more than 150 years in many countries, where they have been involved in anaesthesia care and other clinical roles. The CRNA credentials were officially recognized in 1956, and in the fall of 1986, the speciality was guaranteed medical reimbursement rights. This group of nurses has grown in population, advocacy and inexperience and have become an integral part of the clinical workforce. Vells et al. (2021) research captures the rising concerns of burnout among Certified Registered Nurses Anesthetists over the last two decades. A further literature review has validated the claims that burnout has drastically affected the professional output of the nurses and the general quality of care and services discharged to patients. Previous research on burnout has indicated that patient treatment outcomes depend on the emotional and intellectual wellbeing of the nurses discharging services. The research also highlights the impact of education on alleviating the impacts of burnout among CRNAs, where informative, educational programs are being used for prospecting the clinical workforce for burnout signs. The research has also successfully articulated the strategies for combating burnout among CRNAs, hence helping them improve their mental and physical wellness.
Education and Training of CRNAs
Education and competency-based training are ideal in mitigating burnout in the clinical landscape. Additional training equips the CRNAs with basic knowledge of managing and integrating their workplaces without suffering much fatigue. It also teaches them how to level up technology into their workflow, automating processes hence reducing physical input into the practice. The study by Robinson & Kersey (2018) highlights the educational intervention in Electronic Health Records (EHR) in major healthcare institutions as a way of bolstering operational finesse, technical efficiency and reducing burnout among CRNAs.
This approach has been deemed novel as it aims to impart skills through competency-based training to help CRNAs cope with mounting workloads through the utilization of electronic health records and inventory systems. The research incorporates qualitative and quantitative research designs but lacks a succinct time frame for data collection, processing, and analysis (Robinson & Kersey, 2018). The research has manifested strength in clearly articulating methodologies like the chosen rationale for the education goals, the initial concept for the intervention, program implementation and expected outcome.
Burnout in Healthcare
Although burnout is a circular issue in all professions and workplaces, the healthcare industry is known to experience the worst impacts of burnout. The research by De Hert (2020) articulates the effects of burnout among CRNAs, including interference with their health and degradation of services discharged. The article premises burnout among medical specialists like physicians, aestheticians, ordinary nurses, hospital support staff and CRNAs. The symptoms of burnout are varied, depending on work station and role assigned, patient traffic in the healthcare institution and level of infrastructure. The article also encompasses research and statistical data on the prevalence, etiopathogenesis and aetiology of burnout in the clinical speciality. All the data and findings have been blended to conceptualize the accurate picture of burnout and its severe impacts on healthcare. The research design used is a combination of qualitative and quantitative to ensure a multi-view articulation of burnout, strategies to cope with burnout and health implications of burnout on CRNAs, which would otherwise not be articulated appropriately using a qualitative or quantitative approach in isolation.
Burnout, CRNAs and SRNAs
In countries with rapidly evolving and dynamic health care systems like the United States, CRNAs discharge approximately 43 million or more anaesthetics in a single clinical setting (Christianson et al., 2020). Due to the high expectation of the medical landscape in such countries, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNAs) experience constant burnout that may bear down on their personal lives and affect their performance. The research addresses the relationship between clinical burnout score, emotional intelligence and other syndromes among CRNAs and SRNAs. The research population involved 506 registered CRNAs subjected to the Wong intelligence scale and a simple demographic assessment survey. The research found a strong correlation between low emotional intelligence and prolonged burnout. Evaluation metrics used by the research include correlation tests and regression modelling. The primary strength of the research by Christianson et al. (2020) is the exceptional statistical modelling that enables the deriving of continuous patterns and relationships from a set of scientific data.
CRNAs Workload
The workload of a CRNA may be extreme and unregulated, especially if the health institution is famous and experiences traffic throughout the year. Low energy levels often symbolize this burnout among CRNAs, which predisposes them to emotional fatigue and exhaustion, eventually derailing them from their ordinary life outside the working environment. Mudallal et al. (2017) investigate burnout levels among nurses and how it is affected by extreme workloads. These workloads are triggered by unconducive work conditions, complemented by poor demographic traits. The research also relates heavy workloads with high turnover rates that have deprived the medical industry of a skilled workforce. The research has successfully addressed the issue of nursing workload by demonstrating how poor working conditions and ethics have collectively lowered the integrity of the nursing practice.
Stress Working Environment
The world healthcare system has rapidly changed into an integrative care system incorporating many care packages. This shift has brought collateral damage to CRNAs in loading and job-related stress. The study by Grosso & Boyd (2019), suggests that the interaction between personal and professional spaces has brought stress and emotional torment among CRNAs who cannot strike a nice balance between their work and personal life. These practitioners endure stressful work environments, leading to an absolute mental drain that, in most cases, has escaped the attention of the healthcare stakeholders. The study conceptualizes how a stressful working environment has lowered treatment outcomes, but the specific effects on the entire healthcare system, including cost implications, remain unexplored. A more systematically integrated review is required to map out the effect of stress in CRNA workplaces and how stress has compromised healthcare goals.
Burnout & Emotional Intelligence
The literature by Soto-Rubio et al. (2020) reports that nurses, especially CRNAs, are highly exposed to risks from their jobs and weigh them down emotionally. Prolonged work-related stress has predisposed the nurses to low emotional intelligence and control, especially during the coronavirus. The research utilizes a cross-sectional design and multi towered linear regression modelling to analyze the impacts of burnout on nurse emotional intelligence (Soto-Rubio et al., 2020). The research concluded when burnout is not moderated in the nursing speciality, there is low emotional intelligence which translates into low job satisfaction and a detrimental impact on the health status of CRNAs. The research addresses the relationship between burnout and emotional intelligence, so far missing on the scientific literature converging the two aspects.
Stress and Anxiety Reduction
Clinicians use various methodologies and approaches to mitigate stress and anxiety to manage burnout and low emotional drive. Through after-work exercise and meditations, relaxation can be achieved, as the brain takes little off from the monotony of the daily activities. Mindfulness should be practised in conjunction with relaxation to help CRNAs be aware of their inherent feelings and offer better management of thoughts and workflow (Zhang et al. 2020). CRNAs can avoid carrying over work-related stress and anxiety home by working purposefully, which reduces emotional troubles and discomforts.
References
Christianson, K. L., Fogg, L., & Kremer, M. J. (2020). Relationship between emotional intelligence and clinical performance in student registered nurse anesthetists. Nursing Education Perspectives, 42(2), 104-106. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32049872/
De Hert, S. (2020). Burnout in healthcare workers: Prevalence, impact and preventative strategies. Local and Regional Anesthesia, 13, 171-183. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7604257/#:~:text=The%202020%20Medscape%20National%20Physician,2015%20and%2039.8%25%20in%202013.&text=It%20seems%20that%20male%20physicians,of%20their%20work%20than%20women.
Grosso, B. D., & Boyd, A. S. (2019). Burnout and the Nurse Anesthetist: An Integrative Review. AANA Journal. https://www.aana.com/docs/default-source/aana-journal-web-documents-1/burnout-and-the-nurse-anesthetist-an-integrative-review-june-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=d49f0a19_6
Mudallal, R. H., Othman, W. M., & Al Hassan, N. F. (2017). Nurses’ burnout: The influence of leader empowering behaviors, work conditions, and demographic traits. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 54, 004695801772494. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798741/#:~:text=Nurse%20burnout%20is%20a%20widespread,to%20reductions%20in%20work%20efficacy
Robinson, K. E., & Kersey, J. A. (2018). Novel electronic health record (EHR) education intervention in large healthcare organization improves quality, efficiency, time, and impact on burnout. Medicine, 97(38), e12319. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30235684/
Soto-Rubio, A., Giménez-Espert, M., & Prado-Gascó, V. (2020). Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Psychosocial Risks on Burnout, Job Satisfaction, and Nurses’ Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 7998. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7663663/
Vells, B., Midya, V., Prasad, A., (April 23, 2021) “Experiences of Burnout Among Nurse Anesthetists” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 26, No. 2. https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-26-2021/No2-May-2021/Articles-Previous-Topics/Burnout-Among-Nurse-Anesthetists.html
Zhang, X. J., Song, Y., Jiang, T., Ding, N., & Shi, T. Y. (2020). Interventions to reduce burnout of physicians and nurses: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Medicine, 99(26), e20992. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7328917/
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