By: Melissa Barlock
Work related causes for burnout
Last week I discussed individual factors that can cause stress and lead to burnout. As you may recall, work-related factors may in fact be more important, so it is crucial to address those, too, particularly if you are in a management position. There are many sources of stress in the workplace, and they can be roughly categorized into quantitative and qualitative work demands, though there is some overlap. Below is an overview of the most important ones.
Job Characteristics/Demands
Quantitative job demands:
- Time pressure:
Time and work pressure are what one typically thinks of when it comes to burnout. Time pressures manifest as running behind schedule and skipping or taking less time for food and other breaks, as well as working late into the evenings and on more days of the week. Some dentists emphasize not having enough time for contact with colleagues and other professional development activities.
- Work pressure:
As you’d expect, this has to do with the sheer volume of work to be completed, but it can also relate to the nature of the work, such as medical emergencies. An irregular and unpredictable schedule can also be a source of stress for many. Related to that is the interference of work and private life, especially when there is a need or desire to attain and maintain a substantial income.
- Physical pressure:
As any dental professional knows, doing fine work and maintaining unnatural postures for long periods of time can take a physical toll on the body. It is important, however, not to overlook the interaction between physical and mental stress. Being ergonomically minded and taking time off to recover when necessary, if possible, can help more than one might think.
- Practice management:
The business aspects and responsibility of maintaining a dental practice can be stressful. These include such things as administration, staff relations and the co-ordination of teamwork, staff inadequacy, contracting good staff, changes in staff management, and the system of remuneration for providing dental care. Of course, a good recruiting agency can do the sourcing of good employees for you, and skill development will benefit you in both your professional and personal life. Check out our various articles for helpful tips!
- Economical pressure:
Running a successful practice is extremely rewarding, but it is expensive and financial pressures can be highly stressful, with some owners taking on a heavier financial burden than they can reasonably handle. Careful planning, such as having a good estimate of overhead costs and competition in the area, and knowing the industry regulations and restrictions, so that you know what you’re getting into in advance can mitigate the stress that leads to burnout.
Qualitative work demands:
- Patient relations:
Less-than-ideal patients can be stressful. Reasons include patients that are late or do not show up for appointments, default on payment, and do not comply with treatment, as well as those that are fearful, angry, or demanding. The possibility of inflicting pain or causing fear for the patient is also a concern among dentists. As mentioned in the last post, even interacting with good patients can be a source of stress, especially for some personality types. Fortunately, good communication skills can be taught and can turn patient interactions into pleasurable experiences.
- Colleagues:
Conflicts at work, being confronted by patients due to inferior work completed by other dentists, and other unethical behaviours have been cited as stressors. Fortunately, a positive work culture built on solid core values can give you a leg up over the competition!
- Medical-technical aspects:
While most dental professionals are secure about their medical and technical abilities, lack of confidence is a possible cause of stress. Other stressors in the workplace include technical problems, complex cases, medical emergencies, risk of infection, etc.
- Role strain and role conflict:
Role strain occurs when competing expectations within a single role create tension, such as when conflicting demands at work have to be met. Role conflict, on the other hand, occurs when competing expectations exist between two or more roles, such as those between being an employee and a parent. Both can cause stress.
- Social support:
An absence of resources on the job can also lead to burnout. Humans have many psychological and emotional needs, and a significant and often overlooked factor that can moderate/lessen the effect of stress on burnout is social support. Social support from supervisors is especially important, and can be as simple as a few words of appreciation.
- Role ambiguity and feedback:
People also like to be informed and should have all the information they need to do their job well. Feedback is also important, though criticism should remain constructive.
- Autonomy:
Many dental professionals have a lot of autonomy, which is also a need that people value. Giving employees the option to participate in decision-making when possible is something managers can do to really improve morale.
- Fairness and equity:
Above all, people like to be treated fairly, and unfair treatment erodes the feelings of reciprocity we discussed in an earlier article. Fairness can include reasonable payment, opportunities for growth, and of course good behaviour towards others. Unfair treatment can be a quick route through the three dimensions of burnout, so try to place it as one of your top priorities.
Other sources of stress that can have a far-reaching and persistent influence operate at the organizational and greater societal levels, though one may have less control over these. Organizational characteristics include operating rules, hierarchies, and resources, to name a few.
The workplace is somewhere managers in particular can make a huge difference, but everybody has an important part to play!
Enspire Dental Opportunities is looking forward to working with you.
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