Identifying and Combating Burnout

Katherine used to like her work, but her feelings about it have changed. Katherine works full time as a nurse on an inpatient medical unit, but lately she finds herself struggling to keep up with increased work demands, and feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. Now she has less control over her schedule and has been canceling several family and social events to accommodate her work schedule. She used to look forward to going to work, but now she dreads the start of her shift.   Katherine feels detached from herself and from those around her. Recently, she’s been making sarcastic comments about her co-workers and even some of the patients in her care. She used to find her work meaningful and took pride in her job. However, over the past few weeks, she has struggled to see the purpose of her role and has been worried about the quality of her work performance.  When Katherine does have time away from work, it never seems enough time to help her re-charge. Lately Katherine has been wondering if she is experiencing burnout.