Marilyn Catania, a Clinical Nurse Educator at New York Presbyterian Hospital, offered Mount Saint Mary College students some advice on how nurses can prevent burnout during her talk on campus on Wednesday, March 19.
Burnout – mental and physical exhaustion caused by constant stress – is possible in any profession, especially one as fast-paced and demanding as nursing, Catania explained. Some common contributors to burnout are long work hours and a heavy workload, two issues people in the nursing profession often face.
Beyond the toll it takes on employees mentally and physically, burnout can also impact the quality of one’s work. This reduced productivity, in turn, can put extra strain on other employees. Burnout can also lead to making more mistakes on the job, which in the nursing profession, could have a negative impact on a patient’s health.
Thankfully, it’s possible to build resilience to burnout, Catania noted.
“There are some days that I get up at 3 in the morning and I say to myself, why am I doing this? Can I take the next step forward?” Catania said. “But a little voice in my head says, ‘You have the skills. You have the talent. And you have the resilience to keep moving forward.’”
Some ways to curb burnout include:
- Prioritizing self-care, which includes making time for doing hobbies you enjoy, getting enough sleep, and eating healthy.
- Creating a better work/life balance, which includes not taking on more tasks than you can handle.
- Focusing on the positive aspects of the workplace, like the satisfaction of helping patients or being around coworkers whose company you enjoy.
Catania holds a Master's Degree in Nursing Administration and many postmaster’s specialty certifications. She’s also a legal nurse consultant in private practice where she serves as a testifying expert witness in malpractice cases involving obstetrical and neonatal nurses for both plaintiff and defense law firms.
The event was made possible through the college’s Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grant. The Mount’s School of Nursing was awarded the $1.6 million, three-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NWD program focuses on the recruitment, support, retention, and graduation of nursing students from underrepresented groups. It increases nursing education opportunities and assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds to become baccalaureate-prepared nurses.