Burnout!

So, not sure any of you belong to the ASRT, but I just joined and have been commenting on their forums lately. One topic that just came up was speaking to the issue of burnout. Are you experiencing any burnout at your job?

Although many people are, it also seems as if a large portion of the now "at-home" workforce are experiencing less burnout. So, to me, this may be an industry or individual job specific concern. Those of us working in a hospital setting with patients don't have the luxury to work from home. So then what??? Are we not allowed to address this real concern like others can? So what to do...

Well one idea is to have staggered shifts and staggered hours. Some of the Techs I have talked to about this prefer not to be on the same shift/hours every day. They prefer a little flexibility in their schedule, which can be super helpful.  For example,  you can get most of your errands done in the morning if you know you have at least one afternoon shift during the week. Obviously not everyone will want to have staggered hours and may actually prefer a set schedule so they can plan other things in an orderly fashion, such as homeschooling and nanny hours. That's fine too, but what is the common denominator here?

It's FLEXIBILITY. Perhaps if burnout is becoming an issue in your department, why not ask the staff if they want to try a more flexible schedule in the future? You could do this in any number of ways; let your imagination wander.

Another option is to ask for some "admin" time. What would this look like? Let's say that you are on a clinical CT shift, but the bigwigs have sent out a digital training they want everyone to do or maybe you need to re-up on your BLS certification. If you can get the manager to schedule you admin time, well this is a great opportunity to get these things done during this protected period while someone else is on clinical. This way you don't feel overwhelmed by trying to do both at the same time. Imagine trying to watch an online course and the ER calling for a stat head CT. Can you say stressful? If this option is available to you at your institution, this could be a great way to limit some of the daily stresses and get things done that really need to be taken care of and protect your personal "at home" time from spillover. Now you have plenty of time to squeeze in one of my courses at home to keep those precious skills up to date. Check these courses out here.