Burnout at Critical Levels Among Nation’s Healthcare Workers

The United States surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, has warned that burnout among healthcare workers is a national crisis. Vivek is moving forward with a large initiative to support health workers’ well-being. “These are some of the strongest in society. They’ve been there taking care of us for the last couple of years, but they are struggling, and they need our support now,” Vivek said. Michael Jackson, an ER nurse with National Nurses United, agrees. Burnout among this class of worker has reached a breaking point. “We've known this for quite some time, and it’s something that could've been preventable by those in positions of leadership and management,” Jackson said. “They knew the next pandemic or crisis was coming. We've been saying this for years. If they had done more for preparation, maybe we wouldn’t be dealing with the moral distress dilemma we’re having in healthcare.”