05/26/2022

Surgeon General focuses on health worker burnout and resignation

“We must take action,” begins an advisory report issued this week by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. The report, “Addressing Health Worker Burnout, The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce,” states that as we transition to recovery, “we have a moral obligation to address the long standing crisis of burnout, exhaustion, and moral distress across the health community. We owe workers more than our gratitude. We owe them an urgent debt of action.” It reviews what is known about burnout, discusses the role of COVID-19 in exacerbating the crisis, and makes a clear case that there will be extreme worker shortages in all health care settings. The report offers recommendations that various stakeholders might act upon, though it is worth noting that extensive resources would need to be allocated to providers and urges governments to take many of the recommended actions. The report includes dozens of links to helpful resources.