How doctors can avoid burnout?

According to studies, 20 percent of doctors suffer in the course of their working lives from a burnout. But there are ways to counteract.

The medical profession is undoubtedly stressful and challenging. Studies have even show that every fifth doctor suffer from burnout. But why others stay healthy? In 200 interviews doctors were surveyed about what makes the most to create them in their jobs and how they deal with stress factors.

Too much bureaucracy, long working hours and lack of leisure were mentioned. Also hierarchical pressure, fear of malpractice and promoting patient contributes significantly to the stress. But there are also effective coping strategies, the director of the study reported. For example, create a good doctor-patient relationship help to counteract stress. The opportunity to prevent errors, as well as sufficient delineation have a positive effect.

Distance can help.

So says an internist in the survey that he had for years a aid-dependent patient prescribed sleeping pills, which he has increasingly experienced as unsatisfactory. The decision to refuse her finally, however, have had a relieving effect. Particularly with demanding patients, a distanced observer perspective be helpful.

As an important stress buffer also a good relationship with colleagues important. The limitation of working hours and short time-outs during the workday were called. Overall, it was found that physicians, who are distinguished in their professional life through self-determined decisions, could best deal with stress. The ability to perceive fatigue signals in time and to recognize one’s own limitations, characterize strain capable doctors.