Paper on Burnout
Matthew Bradley
BSHS 462
January 9, 2012
Patti Williams
Paper on Burnout
Professional burnout is defined as “the state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situations” (James, 2008, p. 531). The service provider may have a variety of physical, mental, and emotional signs and symptoms signaling the onset of burnout. The physical symptoms may include feelings of depletion and exhaustion without underlying illness, lowered immune responses, and increased episodes of headaches and minor illnesses. Emotionally the provider may have feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, poor self-efficacy and self-image, and overall pessimism that were not present before.
James (2008) reports 6 main individual, cultural, organizational, supervisory and social support factors that set service providers on the course for burnout: role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload, inconsequentiality, isolation, and autonomy. Providers, supervisors, and organizations may create role ambiguity by not clearly establishing the providers’ rights, responsibilities, procedures, goals, status, and accountability measures. Cultural expectations may blur these lines for individuals, as well. Cultural and moral upbringing may also cause role conflicts when the expectations of supervisors, organizations, or society conflict with the provider’s values and ethics. When providers have excessive service demands in the areas of quality and quantity placed on them by supervisors, organizations, society, or themselves burnout is inevitable.
The provision of human services provides few opportunities for measuring and applauding the successes of providers. Providers experience inconsequentiality when they perceive their contributions as useless, small, or unappreciated. Due to the confidential nature of the industry providers may be isolated due to the inability to seek social support to decrease stress. Finally, human services’ providers often have few opportunities to assert autonomy in their work places due to supervisory, organizational, or societal constraints.
Burnout occurs when the provider is unable to mediate the stress that they are experiencing with support systems and other cushions to release pressures (Farber, 1983). Providers, supervisors, agencies, and the public must act to provide the support and cushions needed to prevent burnout. East, James, and Keim (2001) provide many suggestions for burn-proofing agencies which include policies that do not permit providers to work over 40 hours per week without compensatory time in cases of emergencies and workers are required to take lunch breaks and regular vacation days. Supervisors perform the roles of empathetic supporters, rather than demanding dictators, in burn-proofed agencies. Providers participate in team reviews to gain treatment insights and support from each other. It is also encouraged that providers place their own families and homes as their first priorities with work coming second (East, et al, 2001). Attrition rates for human services agencies are particularly high due to burnout, but by adhering to the recommendations providers may feel valued and see successes in their efforts.
It is important to recognize that burnout is a journey, not a destination. Typical providers progress through 4 stages of burnout according to Edelwich and Brodsky (1982). Initially the provider is enters the human services industry intent on saving the world with unquenchable enthusiasm. This is more intense with inexperienced, younger providers in their first careers who do not receive adequate training to develop realistic professional expectations (Edelwich & Brodsky, 1982). The second stage of burnout is stagnation, the period in which the provider fails to see personal, financial, or career rewards in their own lives while they are assisting others to meet their own needs. This is followed by frustration as the stagnation increases as providers see their personal, financial and/or career goals impeded beyond recourse. Apathy is the final stage of burnout and is the true crisis stage for the provider who lacks the objectivity to make clear personal or professional decisions (James, 2008). The sooner interventions are placed in the road to burnout the more beneficial the interventions will be for the provider, agency, and society.
Personally, I was raised with a strong work ethic. I am a perfectionist and require myself to do whatever it takes regardless of the requirements. I do not seek assistance when it is needed. I will need to establish a clear schedule and leave work at the end of the day and end of the week. It will be important for me to recognize that my limitations for providing quality services and to speak up if and when I need assistance from my supervisors and coworkers. Of course, I will be willing to provide the same services for others. Preventing burnout requires the cooperation of all members of the human services team.
References
East, T.W., James, R.K., & Keim, J. (2001, April). The best little vicarious trauma prevention program in Tennessee. Crisis Intervention. Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning.
Edelwich, J. & Brodsky, A. (1982). Training guidelines: Linking the workshop experience to needs on and off the job. Job stress and burnout. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Farber, B.A. (1983). Stress and burnout in the human service professions. New York, NY: Pergamon Press.
