Beyond the Frontlines: Exploring Burnout Among Healthcare Executives

Abstract

The Mayo Clinic describes “job burnout” as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that may involve feeling useless, powerless and empty. In the context of healthcare, there is abundant literature describing the corrosive effect of burnout on the performance of front-line healthcare providers including physicians, nurses, therapists and hospital staff that can lead to sub optimal patient care. To reduce employee burnout, many health systems are now providing support to improve the work environment and offering other well-being solutions to help their staff cope with the stressors that can lead to burnout. Only recently has there been any recognition that burnout could impact the performance of senior healthcare executives. This group is often thought to have the power, influence and decision rights that protect them from the types of stressors that impact front-line workers. In 2018, the healthcare executive search firm WittKieffer surveyed nearly 400 healthcare executives, of whom about 60 percent reported some degree of burnout. More than half said that the stress and demoralization might cause them to leave their positions.