Burnout among healthcare professionals isn’t just a buzzword.

In this episode of Straight Out of Health IT, Dr. Maiysha Clairborne, a physician and transformational coach, shares her personal experience with burnout early in her career, which led her to shift from clinical medicine to helping healthcare professionals prevent and recover from burnout. She highlights burnout’s key characteristics: physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of futility, where clinicians feel their efforts are never enough. Dr. Maiysha also stresses the role of psychological safety in addressing burnout, as a lack of safety creates stress and erodes trust.

The conversation explores the root causes of burnout, including overwhelming workloads, excessive charting without support, inequities in workplace culture, and the increasing demands of technology. While AI-powered scribes and telemedicine provide flexibility and innovation, they can also contribute to clinician stress when poorly implemented or unsupported. Dr. Maiysha notes that systemic issues, such as toxic workplace environments and organizational inequities, often leave clinicians feeling isolated, underappreciated, and unable to advocate for necessary changes.

Dr. Maiysha emphasizes the need for individual and organizational solutions to address burnout. On a personal level, clinicians must recognize burnout symptoms, identify primary stressors, and advocate for support and resources. From an organizational standpoint, leadership must prioritize psychological safety, listen to frontline workers, and take actionable steps to rebuild trust and support clinicians. Organizations can improve clinician well-being, reduce turnover, and ultimately enhance patient care by creating healthier environments and systems.

Tune in to learn about the root causes of clinician burnout, the role of psychological safety, and solutions to help healthcare professionals reclaim balance and purpose!