Promoting resilience in the face of burnout

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy” (2019, p. 1). The prevalence of burnout within health care professions has increased in recent years, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Andrijic et al., 2021). Unfortunately, 45% to 60% of medical students and residents, as well as 35% to 54% of nurses and physicians experience substantial burnout symptoms (National Academy of Sciences [NAS], 2022). Some stressors that may have contributed to increased burnout rates include high productivity expectations, occupational stress, decreased time for leisure participation due to work expectations, and minimal professional and social respect (Kesarwani et al., 2020). Despite the prevalence of burnout, health care professionals (HCPs) are still expected to complete high-quality work, regardless of the stress it places on their biopsychosocial health (Bridgeman et al., 2018).