Healthcare organisation leader burnout

Burnout is a work-stress-related syndrome with serious consequences for employees, customers, organisations, and society. Little attention has been given to the experience of burnout among healthcare executives, despite the likelihood that executive burnout can have harmful effects on healthcare delivery organisations, their employees, and their performance. For this qualitative research, 12 healthcare executives were interviewed regarding their opinions about burnout within leadership positions in healthcare organisations, the impact of burnout on direct reports, and potential causes of burnout in leaders. Reports of executive burnout among the sample are widespread. Interviewees noted that burnout in a top executive can spread to peers and direct reports, potentially heightening negative effects on organisational performance. Attributed causes of burnout include working towards paradoxical goals, experiencing moral injury at work, social isolation, and feeling unappreciated and unaccomplished. Anti-burnout factors are also explored.