Lara Traeger Discusses Occupational Burnout Among Nurses

Lara Traeger, PhD, psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, discusses occupational burnout and fatigue among nurses.

Traeger anticipated that caring for very ill patients would cause burnout and fatigue among nurses. However, a qualitative study analyzing factors that impact burnout and fatigue found that nurses described their relationships with patients and their families as the most inspiring and motivating part of their jobs.

The study also found that burnout and fatigue among nurses is caused by a few factors, including intense shift schedules, discussing end of life care, and feeling isolated within a multi-provider team caring for the same patient.