Competing Needs Influencing Burnout
One of the possible ways to address burnout is to implement different competing needs such as work-life balance and wise choice of incentives. These needs are essential for healthcare staff and are usually limited. Furthermore, the absence of implementing these needs leads to burnout. The first competing need is a work-life balance, which is lacking, leading to burnout. It is difficult for health carriers to cope with the number of tasks they should do and organize their own life. For instance, medical staff find it difficult to combine long work hours with private life, resulting in mental health issues and burnout (Reith, 2018).
The second need is a wise choice of incentives. Most medical personnel are motivated financially for their productivity. In this case, health carriers usually work overtime to gain higher salaries, which shortens the time spent per patient (Reith, 2018). It is crucial to balance these competing demands to ensure medical personnel achieve a healthy work-life balance and are offered thoughtful incentive options.
Organizational Practices Affecting Burnout
The organization implements many practices to prevent burnout, such as promoting positive mental health, spreading information about the possibilities of burnout, and creating a positive working environment. Firstly, promoting positive mental health aims to prevent burnout and work-related stress. For example, an improved working schedule, such as taking breaks and mental health initiatives, leads to the development of self-management by medical personnel (Sultana et al., 2020).
Secondly, awareness of the possibility of burnout helps reduce stress factors. Lastly, a positive working environment influences communication and support among health carriers, preventing burnout. Hence, burnout is prevented by positive mental health practices, awareness of its causes, and colleagues’ support due to a positive working environment.
Ethical Evaluation of the Policy: Strengths and Challenges
This policy was created due to the Code of Ethics but had some minor issues which should be strengthened. According to the Code of Ethics (American Nurses Association, 2015), nurses should provide patients with care, help, and support and are responsible for providing a moral environment. The organization’s policy is aimed at creating a work-life balance so the medical staff can take care of patients and also have a private life. Providing health carriers with the opportunity to maintain a work-life balance and improving a positive working environment is the main strength of the policy.
However, sometimes maintaining a work-life balance might be challenging, so nurses should be aware of ethical issues with patients that might be caused even by simple daily routines (Milliken, 2018). For instance, spending less time with patients to have more opportunities for private life violates the principles of the Code of Ethics. In addition, this policy does not consider the patient’s impact on the burnout of medical personnel, which challenges the effectiveness of the policy. Thus, the organization’s policy follows ethical considerations but does not include them, which challenges its efficiency.
Policy or Practice Recommendations to Balance Competing Needs
The policies should develop a safe working environment where each medical worker is involved and can make decisions or influence them. Nurses might face burnout due to constant communication with patients or their families (Kelly & Porr, 2018). It is essential to prevent this issue by implementing different programs that allow medical personnel to express their thoughts and make decisions.
Firstly, supportive programs should be implemented. For instance, health carriers should get different types of support from their employers. Secondly, programs to maintain stress and difficult situations should be created. Lastly, employers should balance the competing needs of workers, resources, and patients while addressing ethical shortcomings. They should improve this policy due to the modern realities. Therefore, employers should provide supportive programs and stress-addressing ones, guaranteeing a safe working environment.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements Links to an external site. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Web.
Kelly, P., & Porr, C. (2018). Ethical nursing care versus cost containment: Considerations to enhance RN practice Links to an external site. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 6. Web.
Milliken, A. (2018). Ethical awareness: What it is and why it matters Links to an external site. OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1), Manuscript 1. Web.
Reith, T. P. (2018). Burnout in United States healthcare professionals: a narrative review. Cureus, 10(12). Web.
Sultana, A., Sharma, R., Hossain, M. M., Bhattacharya, S., & Purohit, N. (2020). Burnout among healthcare providers during COVID-19: Challenges and evidence-based interventions. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 5(4), 308-11. Web.