Burnout Among Health Care Professionals: Issues for National Development: Issues for National Development

Burnout has been recognized as an inescapable aspect of human existence that can impact the health of people. Although burnout seems to be present in all aspect of our lives, it seems particularly vulnerable among some groups of health care professionals like doctors, nurses, community health workers and health educators among others. The burnout epidemic is detrimental to patient care and may exacerbate the impending health worker shortage. People in various occupations sometimes experience burnout and a lack of interest in their job performance. Burnout is viewed as the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength as a result of prolonged stress or frustration and tends to be detected in a wide variety of health care providers. This paper discussed its concept, predisposing factors, causes, signs and symptoms as well as prevention, treatment and coping strategies.