Schwartz rounds - An organizational intervention to overcome burnout in hospitals (Letter)

Abstract

Dear Sir

Staff working in health care environments experience higher rates of work-related stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation compared to the general public. This impacts on the ability to provide compassionate care and thereafter patient safety. Various interventions and supports have been implemented within healthcare settings to increase patient care/empathy, improve staff wellbeing, and reduce burnout and work-related stress.1 However, few interventions allow for organization wide involvement and ongoing support, as most are held as one-off events, or solely rely on an individual’s involvement (i.e., counselling). Moreover, a frequent critique of such interventions is that they place the blame on individuals rather than recognize the importance of addressing systemic challenges