The great resignation in healthcare: what is driving the crisis?
In the healthcare industry, many professionals are leaving their jobs. Many refer to it as “The Great Resignation.” The said healthcare exodus has led to many healthcare facilities being understaffed and overwhelmed, especially with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Great Resignation in healthcare, what is driving the crisis? Let’s take a close look.
Survey: 1 in 5 healthcare workers have quit since the start of COVID-19 pandemic
Unfortunately, numbers don’t lie. In a survey conducted by Morning Consult which asked 1,000 healthcare workers in the United States, numbers show that 18% or at least 1 in 5 healthcare workers have resigned from their posts.
Of the same respondent group, 12% have lost their jobs or were laid off from work. The other 31% who kept their jobs have had thoughts of resigning amidst the pandemic. Of that number 19%, have seriously considered saying goodbye to the healthcare industry for good.
Effects of the Great Resignation
Despite the pandemic restrictions easing up, turnover in the medical field still occurs.
The effects of the Great Resignation in Healthcare is present in hospitals, clinics, and facilities around the country. When Morning Consult asked if the shortage of medical workers has affected them and their workplace, 4 of 5 respondents said yes.
The numbers of this research showed that 41% claimed that the shortage has a major impact on their workplace while 38% said it had a minor impact.
The Great Resignation in healthcare: What is driving the crisis?
Let’s have a quick yet deep dive into the Great Resignation in healthcare. What is driving the crisis?
About three decades ago, Dr. Christina Maslach came up with the Maslach Burnout Inventory which has been used widely in various industries to measure job burnout. While this may not be specific to the healthcare industry, the different stressors are possible factors that lead to high turnover.
Work overload
First on Maslach’s list of burnout drivers is work overload. With many patients coming in, especially at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the personnel-patient ratio has become alarming. Understaffing exacerbated this workload issue.
With fewer people doing shifts and more patients needing treatment, medical workers have to deal with too much workload. Most, if not all, tasks are time-sensitive so workers must always be on their feet. They also feel pressured to accomplish so much within their shift.
Lack of control or job autonomy
Healthcare workers are professionals who earned their respective degrees, took their respective licensure examinations, and earned hours of experience to be able to work in a hospital or medical facility. These professionals work in harmony with one another to help patients get the best treatment.
However, there are cases when other people, especially those who have little knowledge and understanding of what they do, try to micromanage them. Whether it is necessary or completely uncalled for, having little control over the job or being dictated what to do poses a huge challenge for healthcare workers.
Lack of reward
Healthcare workers are often underappreciated — and in certain cases, they are even blamed when results are not in one’s favor. Reward is something that keeps an individual going. Having not enough reward may be a major factor in one’s resignation.
Reward can take many forms. It can be appreciation and words of affirmation or financial compensation through salaries, incentives, and benefits.
Many essential healthcare workers felt underpaid and undervalued even when they were among the most essential during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, said a Brookings article. Some facilities gave minimal hazard pay for a job that was extremely risky.
Lack of community
Another factor that leads to burnout and turnover is when an individual feels that he/she is isolated and not part of a team.
This is completely understandable in the healthcare field. Everyone has to accomplish so much that there is little time left to coordinate with one’s colleagues and team members. This also holds true with terrible understaffing issues where new hires work right away and everyone is so busy building rapport with one another.
Values mismatch
People hold dear the values they live by. However, there are instances where they have to throw away their values during work. A mismatch of values between the company and healthcare worker is one reason for resignation.
An example is when the medical facility’s management implements policies that clash with the healthcare worker’s values. It can be an insurance, treatment, or staffing policy that the individual may feel is against his/her morals.
Lack of fairness
Inequality and discrimination are possible drivers of the Great Resignation. Discrimination is still pretty evident in today’s society may it be due to race, gender, or other aspects.
At the start of the pandemic, healthcare workers were also subject to discrimination. This is because of the mere fact that they work at a medical facility.
The Great Resignation in Healthcare
The sad reality is that the Great Resignation is still ongoing even when restrictions have eased up and the new normal is here. There is the big question of the Great Resignation in healthcare: what is driving the crisis? Factors include too much workload especially with the staff shortage, lack of rewards, discrimination, values mismatch, lack of community, and micromanagement.