Please put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others: a call to arms to battle burnout

Abstract

Burnout among healthcare workers has reached epidemic proportions. Obstetrician/Gynecologists are not exceptions. Burnout is a phenomenon that can be difficult to distinguish from other entities, but one that has far-reaching consequences that can be deleterious both to physicians and to their patients. Most worrisome are its insidious nature, its contagiousness, and its relationship to depression. To date there has been a paucity of solutions proven to effectively fight burnout, and the implementation of those that may be helpful has been fragmented. An aggressive and multi-pronged approach is warranted that focus at the individual, departmental, institutional and national levels. Potential solutions should take into account external and internal factors, as well as issues of feasibility, impact and cost. Interventions that may play a role include cognitive-behavioral therapy, enhanced communication, physician wellbeing programs, improving work conditions, and advocacy efforts.

Keywords: burnout; resilience; well-being.