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By Stephanie Rodriguez, APRN-CNP
Certified Nurse Practitioner, North Baltimore Medical & Diagnostic Center

We have all experienced occasional stressful days but can generally manage with anticipation that a relaxing period will follow. Burnout, however, is different. Burnout is “A state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” We see this in family life, work life and even as a whole community. How do we know if we’re suffering from burnout? Here are just a few signs: fatigue, this does not mean just sleepy, but also unmotivated or lack of energy; feeling apathetic or dissatisfied with work; headaches; cynical outlook; changes in sleep pattern.

How can this affect us long term? Long-term stress can lead to anxiety disorders, detachment, hypertension, a strained immune system and poor work performance, to name just a few. Burnout generally spills into community systems as well, such as in healthcare. For example, one study in 2019 found that “54 percent of nurses (in the U.S.) experience moderate burnout and 28 percent experience high or severe level of burnout.” This can ultimately lead to individuals leaving a profession or are unable to perform to standards. Ultimately, a wave begins with more and more demands to fewer and fewer individuals. There is nearly a 20 percent increase in demand for mental health services over the last year and a half, meaning the nation could, if not already, be facing a mental health crisis.

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