Confronting Health Worker Burnout and Well-Being

The New England Journal of Medicine

In a recent opinion piece, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy discusses ways to address health worker burnout. He argues that burnout may show up in individuals, but its causes come from systems. Such causes include lack of support, increasing workloads, underinvestment in public health, and inadequate resources to care for patients. To address these systemic issues, Murthy calls for (1) valuing and protecting health workers, (2) reducing administrative burdens, (3) increasing access to mental health care, (4) increasing public investments in the workforce and public health, and (5) fostering a culture that supports well-being in health care systems.

Spark Extra! Find resources for preventing suicide among health workers.