I’m finishing up an Intro to Sport Psychology class and reflecting on some of what I’ve learned. Much of the content is relative to any profession (not just Sport), and I found myself making comparisons and tying things together in very helpful ways. It’s been cathartic to reflect on my vocation as it relates to Sport Psychology this summer.
For example, the last section was on Burnout. What a relevant and timely subject. I can look back and point at two periods in my career when I experienced burnout. To describe it briefly: IT SUCKS. Also, it’s hardest to identify during the burn. Like the frog in the pot (which I suppose is more like a Boil-out, but we’ll mix metaphors if that’s okay). Slowly the temperature raises, but the frog doesn’t notice until… well… they boil.
The same can be said for Burnout.
As I was learning about the symptoms/consequences of Burnout in Sport, I found myself worrying about many professions that may be impacted as we’ve come to this “other side” of the pandemic. The challenges we’ve faced during and since 2020 did not suddenly go away when we stopped reporting daily COVID totals and mandating a vaccine for all Healthcare workers. The “State Of Emergency” may have ended in our country, but there are still many fires to put out, and much healing to be done on the frontlines of many industries. As usual, I’m going to focus on my own industry: Healthcare.
What is Burnout?
The Mayo Clinic has a great article describing Career Burnout, its symptoms, questions to ask yourself if you think you’re experiencing it, and some action items to take if you are/could be. You can read the Mayo Clinic Article here, but I’ll also give you a brief synopsis. Burnout is a state of physical or emotional (I would add “spiritual”) exhaustion that involves a reduced sense of accomplishment and a lost sense of personal identity.
Woof.
Personal Identity.
In Sport, many elite athletes identify as “Athletes”. It’s woven into their personal and professional identity. They ARE athletes. Unquestionably. Till they aren’t.
In Nursing (and I dare to say all caring professions) — the same is true. We aren’t just nurses when we work. We identify as A Nurse. Your Nurse.
A colleague once said, “nursing is a vocation. It’s enculcated in us”.
Good gravy.
Feel that for a moment.
Are you a parent? Will you always identify as a parent?
How about a sibling?
A son/daughter?
Let yourself feel the despair, just for a second, of an entire industry of caring professionals who “knew” their jobs, their roles, their place in the world. And then: Pandemic.
Who are we now?
Who am I now?
Am I/Are We in a Personal/Professional Identity Crisis? Perhaps.
Call a Code!
In a Healthcare setting, if a patient’s heart stops beating and they have full-resuscitation measures ordered, we begin performing CPR. In the biz, it’s called “A Code”. Chest compressions, and all that jazz. I have hated every time I’ve had to perform CPR. It hurts both of us. It’s exhausting — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes we win (the person is revived/resuscitated), and others, god wins and we continue running the code till some doctor or POA says to stop.
Side Quest: The first time I performed CPR, I was a new grad on evening shift. I came out into the hallway, and my assistant manager asked, “Why are you crying?”. I had no words. How could I not cry after thumping like mad on the frail chest of my full-code-should-be-in-hospice-but-we’ll-decide-tomorrow patient? We didn’t have a process to debrief, but I wish we had. I’ve held onto that feeling for years.
Healthcare, Nursing, and all Caring Professions are in this “Post-Code” period. We’ve just resuscitated the whole fucking country (it feels that way). Maybe we still are.
And now, exhausted — we are in need of protection. We need a careful assessment to identify why the code happened, could it happen again? Are we safe? Are you?
We need to step out of the fire. Tend to our injured. And find a salve to provide some relief.
Are we still IN a code?? Are we still resuscitating? Did we transfer to a higher level of care? Has the code gone on too long? Is it hopeless?
Or, to callback the other metaphor of the frog: Is the fire out? Will it be re-lit?
Do we want to be there if/when the fire happens again?
Mock Codes
In some Healthcare settings, there are “Mock Codes”. Practice sessions that mimic real-life emergencies, but on a fake patient in a pretend scenario so everyone can practice and learn together. There’s no way to recreate the real deal, but we get pretty close. And, through practice and going through the motions, future codes are run more smoothly and have better outcomes.
I’m going to set up a scenario for us here, so we can imagine a fictional situation that we may actually experience in the future.
Healthcare Crisis Mock Code
It’s post-pandemic United States, Healthcare Workers are experiencing career burnout at an unprecedented rate. They are leaving the bedside and taking decades of experience with them. Some are retiring, others are growing into non-clinical roles, and still others are becoming advanced practitioners, educators, and leaders. There are many vacancies on the frontline, at all levels of care. Schools are experiencing low enrollment. And the patient population is growing at exponential rates. Baby Boomers are aging INTO Healthcare as patients, and OUT of Healthcare as workers.
You are a person in the community.
What do you do now? How do you assess the situation? Who do you call for help? How do you raise an alert?
Reflect on this, then please add a comment below if you have any insights! I would love to have a dialogue about this mock scenario.
Business as Unusual
We’re not done yet. Yes, COVID has given us some reprieve. Yes, we’ve learned and continue to learn much from what we’ve experienced. Yes, much research is and will be done on the impact in around and through the pandemic. Yes, yes, yes. But I can’t wait for the results of research to consider where we go from here. This is all based on feelings (that spiritual part of me that speaks up in quiet moments). Oh feelings, you do go on.
I don’t feel the level of hopelessness I have in the past. I do not feel myself burning out in this moment. Thank god. I am taking time to refill my cup so I can continue to participate in Nursing in a meaningful way. Also, I’m learning how to help people get moving more in my community (a class or two at a time). I want Nursing and Healthcare to be better. I want to invite those interested to join the frontlines. I want it to feel like a safe profession and workplace, for us and the patients we serve.
I believe it can happen. One story at a time. One post at a time.
We’re getting warmer.
Love,
Jessie