Avoiding Burnout
Tesheika Boomer
Grand Canyon University
HLT-310V
Dr. Todd D. Fowler
July 5, 2015

Burnout is defined as emotional or physical exhaustion related to environmental and internal stressors and inadequate coping and adaptive skills (Mosby, 2009). Nurses are exposed to a tremendous amount of stress on a daily basis; the constant demands and surmounting pressures can leave an individual feeling overwhelmed. The frustration over wanting to provide good quality care to patients and work conditions that are not conducive to providing patient centered care that is safe and high quality can lead to burnout.
The way in which stress is handled can have a profound effect on the one’s health and wellbeing. Stress causes “wear and tear on the body,” (Hamilton, 2012), and prolonged stress can lead to depression, anxiety, as well as other health issues. In this paper I will be discussing nursing burnout, how it effect job performance as well as other areas of life, ways to combat burnout, and promoting spiritual growth.
To get a better understanding of my risk for burnout, I took a caregiver burnout survey. According to the results, I rated at an elevated risk for potential burnout. The survey further suggest that I need to make more time for self- care to avoid a common caregiver trap where one is so focused on the needs of others that it becomes easy to forget to recharge your own battery, thus leaving you run-down and unable to provide adequate care for people dependent upon you.

The way I combat compassion fatigue and burnout is by maintain good physical, mental and spiritual health. One way I accomplish this is by actually taking lunch breaks, this gives me an opportunity to take a deep breath, say a quick prayer get mentally prepared before for the remainder of my day before returning backing to the chaotic work environment. By taking a break I am able to rejuvenate my body both mentally and physically, so that I can work more efficiently. Another tactic I use is taking power walks during break if time permits or after work several times a week. Walking helps me to clear my mind and unwind. I also took a spirituality and emotional maturity assessment, and those results revealed that I am an emotionally mature adult. Emotional maturity is defined as an individual’s ability to understand, and manage their emotions (Rich, S., 2015). It is something that one must consistently work on in order to grow both emotionally and spiritually. To maintain emotional health I like to journal. Journaling helps me to release the tensions of the day in a constructive way.
According to the Global Christian Center (2015), the most practical and powerful way to gain spiritual maturity is to establish habits that promote spiritual growth. One of the things I do to promote my spiritual growth is I look to god’s word in the bible for guidance. By gaining knowledge and wisdom from the scriptures and applying what I learned to every aspect of my life helps me gain spiritual maturity. For example before I make any major decisions that have a direct