The long-term care industry has a staffing burnout crisis. I don’t use that term lightly, but the numbers don’t lie here.

Recent studies found that 49% of senior care professionals rank stress and burnout as the toughest challenge they face in the workplace, while 57% have considered leaving their jobs as a result of this. And facing the brunt of these pressures are often skilled nurses working in skilled nursing facilities (SNF).

As someone who helps families navigate senior living solutions, I’ve seen firsthand how these shortages can harm both the mental and physical health of nurses and the well-being of residents. But addressing this problem isn’t just about filling empty roles; it’s about ensuring we create environments where nurses can thrive and provide the compassionate care our elders deserve.

Recognizing burnout and its root causes

The first step in combating burnout is recognizing the symptoms. Staff burnout is a form of stress and fatigue caused by being overwhelmed by the emotional, physical and mental toll of one’s job. Symptoms of burnout among skilled nursing staff can include frustration, cognitive impairment including memory and attention, irritability, cynicism, and being withdrawn, as well as physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches and frequent illnesses. 

As to its root causes, anyone who’s spent time working in the long-term care industry will be familiar with the constant stresses of the job. These can include managerial and organizational issues such as staffing shortages, lack of management support and poor work-life balance. Meanwhile, the emotional responsibilities of the job providing end-of-life support to patients and their families naturally take a toll on everyone.

Being guided by the research

Thankfully, burnout within skilled nursing is a topic that is beginning to receive the attention it deserves within the research community. A number of peer-reviewed studies have been published over the last few years, including Prevention Actions of Burnout Syndrome in Nurses: An Integrating Literature Review and Health Care Staff Turnover and Quality of Care at Nursing Homes.

A common theme across all studies is the positive impact of creating a workplace culture and environment where the topic of burnout, its symptoms and how to mitigate these is “out in the open”. This way, staff are encouraged to share any problems they are having and to seek the necessary support they may need.

Staffing, scheduling and work-life balance

Clearly, an understaffed SNF creates a lot of additional stress on the existing staff who have to pick up the slack. But while there may be no quick fix to an acute staffing pinch, there are plenty of actions management can take to help out when it comes to staffing. 

A key theme across burnout research studies has been the beneficial impact of giving nurses more control over their scheduling. Consult with nurses, where possible, to understand the demands on their home life so you can factor their needs into scheduling. Employees, especially from younger generations, are increasingly expecting scheduling to be a two-way dialogue between them and their employers. Therefore, SNFs should consider implementing self-scheduling systems that give nurses more control over their time.

Keeping shifts to a maximum of nine hours can also help to reduce the mental and physical toll placed on nurses. Furthermore, putting sensible monthly limits on overtime can help to prevent problems down the line. Paid leave is also an important consideration here, with some SNFs implementing a mandatory vacation day policy to ensure that their nurses take time off.

Wellness, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral support

Another key theme across research studies has been the benefits of introducing initiatives such as wellness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Providing meditation and mindfulness sessions on SNF premises during shifts has proven to help reduce stress among nursing staff. There have also been similar findings when SNFs have provided access to activities such as reiki, touch of healing, therapeutic massage, and guided images. 

Another intervention that was found to have a significant positive impact is by increasing behavioral control over work. CBT can help to equip nurses with more effective management techniques for daily workplace stressors, allowing them to re-conceptualize these stressors and then respond to them in a more positive manner.

Job satisfaction and skills & career development

A sense of progression and personal development is vital when it comes to job satisfaction and combating burnout. Some of the initiatives in the above-mentioned studies have focused on ways to improve this among nurses. For example, helping nurses to set and achieve short-term professional goals, developing professional self-images and positive professional thinking have been shown to help increase job satisfaction.

Likewise, offering career and skills development programs has also been shown to increase job satisfaction. It’s worth considering here the approach taken by other industries which also have high levels of staff churn. For example, Amazon invests heavily in training programs for warehouse and distribution staff, pledging $1.2 billion for this purpose. Some of these programs are purely for personal development, while others give employees the opportunity to move up in the organization. 

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, healthcare — especially senior care — comes down to people. The relationships nurses build with their patients are the cornerstone of quality care. When nurses are empowered with the right tools, supported by strong leadership, and aren’t stretched too thin, they’re able to avoid burnout and provide the kind of compassionate, personalized care that makes all the difference in a resident’s life.

Dharam Khalsa is co-founder of skilled nursing and assisted living platform Mirador, which is on a mission to remove barriers and increase transparency for consumers within the long-term care industry.  

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

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