Addressing Clinician Burnout in Long-Term Care

TLDR:

An overwhelming number of therapists – both occupational and physical therapists – are contending with burnout at long-term care facilities, acute rehab facilities, and inpatient rehabilitation centers. The level of burnout has caused many therapists to leave their profession. But there are ways to overcome these cases of industry burnout, and they include ensuring job satisfaction and making therapists’ jobs easier and more appreciated, as well as improving working conditions. Equipping rehab facilities and long-term care centers with Barihab™ treatment and assessment platforms is one significant way to help prevent burnout among therapists and other rehab professionals.

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With the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic – with its intense pressures and extenuating circumstances – that also caused severe burnout among many health care professionals, too many occupational and physical therapists are still experiencing burnout at long-term care facilities and other similar healthcare centers.

Burnout can be defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced efficacy, and it is affecting healthcare workers in high numbers.

You will find cases of burnout highly prevalent in long-term care (LTC) facilities, with rates typically exceeding 30 percent or even 40 percent. Incidents of burnout can surpass these rates among nursing staff and care aides.

The Serious Results of Burnout in the LTC Industry

The fallout of staff burnout at acute rehab facilities and other similar healthcare centers can range from staff leaving to an increased burden on remaining staff, further compromising the quality of care and patient safety.

Here is a list of potential negative outcomes of burnout among your LTC staff.

• Compromised Care
  Burned-out staff may become less patient or even exhibit abusive behavior, negatively impacting resident care and safety. This immediately puts patients in jeopardy. The quality of care is compromised, and your healthcare facility is no longer enabling patients to achieve their rehab goals. This negatively impacts their quality of life.
• Increased Turnover
  Burnout often leads to staff leaving the field, creating a shortage of qualified workers and further increasing pressure on remaining staff, perpetuating the cycle. This, too, impacts the quality of care for your patients. Employees are stretched thin and can no longer effectively carry out their job responsibilities. A rapid turnover of employees can also tarnish the reputation of your Inpatient Rehabilitation Center.
• Increased Costs
  High turnover and the reliance on expensive agency staff to fill gaps add to an LTC facility’s costs. Your healthcare center has to endure the extraordinary expense of offering training sessions on a repeated basis, only to have employees leave after a brief tenure. It turns into an expensive proposition to shoulder the cost of training staff (a huge investment of time and resources), only to not realize your money’s worth because your trained employees leave abruptly due to burnout at your healthcare facility.

Contributing Factors to Staff Burnout at an LTC Facility

A myriad of factors could lead to burnout among healthcare workers. All of these characteristics have the potential to unravel the quality of rehabilitation services that your residents are receiving. 

Staff Shortages and Overwork

A burgeoning elderly population and a shrinking nursing workforce translate into facilities that are already stretched thin. This leads to higher demands being placed on existing staff and an increase in instances of burnout. Employees are covering the responsibilities of absent workers, which causes exhaustion and under-appreciation. Job satisfaction dwindles and, like a virus, burnout spreads, potentially causing an exodus of staff. 

Administrative Burdens

Caregivers can be forced to contend with high levels of administrative tasks, which can be a significant source of stress and contribute to feeling overwhelmed. Therapists then become stretched beyond their limits, and, before you know it, they are way overburdened and burned out because they are charged with responsibilities they were not trained or prepared for. 

Lack of Control

Healthcare workers have limited say in work schedules. They might experience a lack of autonomy over daily tasks. All of this can result in decreased job satisfaction and an increased burnout effect. Staff should feel empowered and be assured that they have control over their work environment. When they no longer have the control that their job requires as therapists, they can feel under-appreciated and undervalued. 

Insufficient Support

A lack of organizational support, including inadequate training and resources, leaves staff feeling unsupported and less able to cope in an already stressful environment. Their confidence in management is diminished, as well. This not only can lead to job burnout, but it can also prompt employees to leave your healthcare organization. 

Emotional Demands

Caring for residents or patients with severe medical conditions and compromised physical abilities can cause emotional exhaustion and burnout. Some patients may pass away. Others may experience setbacks in their rehabilitation regimens. Therapists must contend with the ups and downs, and occasional struggles, of their patients as they strive to achieve their rehab goals. This routine can be emotionally draining and tiring for even the most seasoned of therapists. 

How to Overcome Burnout at LTC and Other Medical Facilities

A primary way to significantly lower the burnout factor at your LTC facility is to use the right equipment. In an interview with Laszlo Bayer, Senior Vice President at Therapeutic Industries, Carly Zimmerman, a seasoned physical therapist with extensive experience across various rehabilitation settings, discusses how essential it is to bring in the safest and most advanced equipment for your rehab sessions. She says this will greatly reduce the likelihood of caregiver burnout.

Safe equipment in LTC facilities improves resident safety by preventing falls, as well as ensuring proper movement and transfers. Exceptional quality rehab equipment also aids in infection control and supports health monitoring. It also benefits staff by reducing the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries and creating a safer work environment. This leads to higher staff retention and improved morale. With respect to morale, a safer work environment contributes to higher job satisfaction. Caregivers are not as likely to experience discomfort or require time off due to work-related injuries.

Having the right equipment also improves efficiency. For example, assistive devices streamline patient handling tasks, which makes transfers and repositioning more efficient and less time-consuming.

Here are some examples of safe equipment at medical facilities:

• Patient Handling – Mechanical lifts, transfer belts, and ergonomic seating solutions. 
• Fall Prevention – Bed and chair alarms, fall mats, and wander management systems. 
• Health Monitoring – Glucometers, oxygen concentrators, and blood pressure monitors.

Pioneering Therapy Equipment Promotes Job Satisfaction & Stems Staff Burnout

Therapeutic Industries’ advanced physical therapy equipment tables and rehabilitation equipment make the job of the physical therapist much easier, more efficient, and more effective. For example, rehab products like the Barihab™ XS, the Barihab™ XKS physical therapy table, and the Barihab™ S2S Standing Frame™ reduce the strain on occupational and physical therapists by minimizing patient handling. This lowers the injury risks and enables therapists to focus on delivering efficient and personalized care to residents without contending with physical fatigue.

Aquino of Life Care Centers of America explained that the Barihab™ Treatment Platform, with its innovative design to reduce physical exertion, is helping to prevent injuries and ease the demands on clinicians.

Integrated solutions by Therapeutic Industries streamline rehabilitation processes, which ensure consistent patient outcomes, as well as improved operational efficiency at your acute rehab facility. The Barihab™ equips inpatient rehabilitation centers like yours with the technology to optimize patient satisfaction while also managing costs and resources more effectively.

The Barihab™ range of state-of-the-art products features advanced technology that prioritizes safety and maximum productivity. Our Barihab™ equipment promotes job satisfaction and allows administrators at LTC facilities to avoid staff burnout.