Stress And Burnout In Health Professionals

Working as a health professional can be incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally, however it is also frequently associated with high levels of stress for clinicians. Working in healthcare services, clinicians are often exposed to physical and emotional issues of patients, in addition to managing conflicting demands and increased work hours (Kakunje, 2011). As a result of these job stressors, it is widely recognized that health professionals are susceptible to negative impacts on their emotional, physical and mental health (Rice et al., 2014). The implications of working as a health professional and the subsequent need for self-care, will be implored in this essay.
The prevalence of stress and burnout in health professionals has been the focus of a multitude of studies. Kakunje (2011), recognizes that health professionals, are highly susceptible to excessive levels of stress, which can ultimately impede on quality of care and work performance. Health professionals regularly face debilitating job stressors, for example “excessive working hours, sleep deprivation, repeated exposure to emotionally charged situations, dealing with difficult patients, conflicts with other staff” (Kakunje, 2011, p.1). Additionally, it is noted that decreased ability to engage and maintain a social life, is a main contributor to increased stress levels (Kakunje, 2011).
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Health professionals, who are affected by work associated stress, are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, troubles in social relationships or substance abuse (Wallace et al., 2009). Emerging research is showing the health professionals who experience stress, burnout, depression or general psychosocial distress, are likely to provide reduced quality of care (Wallace et al., 2009). Thus, when health professionals are unwell, their role in the health care system is negatively