In this article we discuss:
- What is pharmacist burnout?
- How is pharmacist burnout classified?
- What are the 3 core signs and symptoms of pharmacist burnout?
- How do these characteristics relate to pharmacist and healthcare burnout?
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What is pharmacist burnout? A syndrome characterized by exhaustion, cynicism and decreased self-efficacy. Let’s break down each of these 3 characteristics and discuss common signs and symptoms you may experience.
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Exhaustion – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. You may never fully rested or chronic fatigue. There are physical symptoms that may appear such as with headaches, stomach aches or intestinal issues. The mental health and exhaustion may affect our ability to process information. The emotional exhaustion may turn into anger, anxiety or depression. We feel drained, unable to cope and tired – lacking energy to get work done. The spiritual exhaustion we feel may not allow us to feel present in the moment (mindful) and we may have difficulty aligning our values with decisions.
Cynicism – depersonalization or negative viewpoint. We may lose our ability to care, empathize, connect with patients, staff or co-workers. We may feel like we’re a bother. This can lead to isolation, loss of enjoyment, and pessimism. Some people report feeling numb about work.
Decreased self-efficacy – low sense of personal accomplishment. We may doubt our work really makes any difference. This can lead to questioning our quality of work, apathy (what’s the point?) and lead to poor performance. We may feel like we’re on a hamster wheel with no finish line – I certainly felt this way.
Simply put…
If you feel exhausted, start to hate your job and begin to feel less capable at work, you may be showing signs of burnout.
Personality traits and thought patterns such as perfectionism and pessimism can contribute as well.
Experiencing burnout may put you a higher risk of developing depression, but they are not the same thing. In depression you experience negative feelings and thoughts about ALL aspects of life not just at work. Please seek professional mental health services with your healthcare providers for depression. This podcast and blog are not meant for this purpose.
If you’re struggling right now, my coaching program offers 30-minute weekly sessions to check-in for accountability, reflect on progress, answer and guide you through difficulties. Apply now at DrJessicaLouie.com/coaching.
This topic first appeared on The Burnout Doctor Podcast episode 3 – listen here
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