An Innovative Approach to Reducing Workforce Shortages and Burnout in Health Care
People stay in their jobs when they feel valued, respected, and where relationships and teamwork are strong in high-pressure environments.
Debora Goldberg Ph.D., associate professor, College of Public Health, George Mason University
At a time of unprecedented change in health care, the twin challenges of workforce shortages and burnout have emerged as formidable adversaries that impact the delivery of health care services to patients across the U.S., especially in rural and underserved areas.
In the past year more than 71,000 physicians stopped practicing medicine. Add nurses leaving by the thousands and you have a rapidly unfolding crisis. Workforce resilience has been in decline across all roles — clinical and nonclinical — since 2020, according to Press Ganey, owner of health care’s largest feedback survey.
For those who remain to care for patients, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) points to the negative consequences of burnout, including fatigue, depression, anxiety, workplace violence, substance use disorders, and suicidal thoughts — all on the rise.
These facts underscore the importance of proactively promoting self-care education across the broader health care workforce.
Debora Goldberg Ph.D., associate professor, College of Public Health at George Mason University (GMU), sees the impact daily. “At a time when patient demand is growing significantly, caregiver shortages are so severe in certain areas that health care facilities are forced to close, creating a growing disparity in access to those needing care the most,” she says. “Supporting caregivers and enhancing health care in our communities requires true partnerships.”
Read our new article to discover how an innovative solution combining behavioral science, health care, and continuing education can help address workforce shortages and reduce burnout: George Mason University Takes the Lead in Combating Burnout and Workforce Shortages Through Evidence-Based Resiliency Training
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Matt Humphrey
President