Work Locum Tenens to Prevent Physician Burnout
Physician burnout is a real struggle that many doctors face across the country. Although working as a doctor is a dream come true for many physicians, a satisfying career in the medical field comes with insurmountable stress. Our physician staffing agency is here to share the ins and outs of physician burnout.
What Is Physician Burnout?
Physician burnout is when doctors experience long-term stress that entails emotional exhaustion, a decrease in their personality, and missing a sense of accomplishment. The burnout occurs when doctors find themselves with a negative balance of energy. Doctors who are experiencing burnout are functioning in a depleted state with decreased energy levels.
What Are the Signs of Physician Burnout?
The difference between physician burnout and stress is the ability to recover during your time off. If you find yourself increasingly unable to recharge, or if you begin to feel the snowball effect associated with high levels of stress, this might be the beginning of a downward spiral. Emotional and physical exhaustion, depression, and emotional distance with patients and loved ones are just some of the effects of physician burnout.
If you are a doctor experiencing some of the signs of physician burnout, it’s time to take care of your mental and physical health. Physician burnout symptoms include:
- Feeling tired or drained
- Low immunity – constantly sick
- Change in appetite or sleep
- Feeling helpless, defeated or trapped
- Detachment from the world
- A negative outlook on life
- Uninterested in activities you once enjoyed
- Withdrawal from life and responsibilities
- Isolation
- Aggressively taking frustrations out on others
- Disinterested in work and life
How to Help Combat Physician Burnout
If you are experiencing physician burnout, consider a position as a locum tenens physician. It tends to be an excellent solution for physicians who want to take a step back and recharge while still working, or even for physicians who no longer want to feel weighed down by the responsibilities of a full-time hospital job. Locums benefit from a lot of the pros of medicine, but without the cons that lead to physician burnout. Say goodbye to overflowing paperwork and hello to a lot more time with patients and lucrative pay.
Physicians who connect with patients are more likely to feel as if they have made a difference; that feeling of accomplishment is often used as a metric to measure physician burnout. Most burnouts are associated with the distance and depersonalization of patient interactions. A physician’s job is stressful – there’s no doubt about that – but having the opportunity to take back some of your time, enough to maintain your clinical skillset while still maintain the career that is your calling, is what a locum tenens physician agency like Mint Physician Staffing can offer.
If you are ready to take control of your work schedule, contact us today. We can help you choose your ideal shifts so you can create a work schedule that fits your needs! Our teams of physician recruiters are here to provide you with healthcare job placement.
Article updated on July 13, 2020.
In October of 2008, Stuart acquired the assets of Prime Staff—a Houston-based locum tenens company with a successful 12-year track record of placing physicians throughout the southeastern United States. After an overhaul of the business and re-branding to Mint Physician Staffing, the company has since quadrupled in size in terms of both employee count and revenue. As President, Stuart manages the company on a daily basis. He is purely a private individual investor and is not affiliated with any other company or private equity investor.
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