Surgeon General Addresses Healthcare Worker Crisis

Advisory lays out recommendations for healthcare organizations and facilities to address worker burnout and ensure their well-being.

By HFT Staff


The worker burnout crisis and resulting staffing shortage that healthcare facilities are facing these days is critical, and it’s only likely to get worse. More workers plan to quit in 2022, and the causes of shortages go well beyond the most visible challenges created by COVID-19. 

To address the crisis, facility managers are taking several short- and long-range steps. They include innovating their recruiting efforts and even rethinking their facilities’ interior design decisions

The staffing situation has intensified to the point that the federal government is taking steps to help healthcare systems address the issue. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to address the health worker burnout crisis. Workers in all areas of healthcare facilities faced systemic challenges even before the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to crisis levels of burnout. The pandemic further exacerbated burnout for health workers, with many risking and sacrificing their own lives in the service of others while responding to the crisis. 

The Surgeon General’s Advisory Addressing Health Worker Burnout lays out recommendations for healthcare organizations, health insurers, health technology companies and communities to address worker burnout and ensure their well-being. Among the recommendations are these: 

  • Transform workplace culture to empower health workers and be responsive to their voices and needs. Listen to workers and seek their involvement to improve processes, workflows and culture. 
  • Protect the health, safety, and well-being of all health workers. Provide living wages, paid sick and family leave, rest breaks, evaluation of workloads and working hours, educational debt support, and family-friendly policies, including childcare and care for older adults for all health workers.  
  • Ensure adequate staffing, including surge capacity for public health emergencies, that is representative of the communities they serve. This is critical to protect and sustain health workers and communities.  
  • Organizations, communities, and policies must prioritize protecting health workers from workplace violence and ensure they have sufficient personal protective equipment.  In a recent national survey among health workers in mid-2021, eight out of ten experienced at least one type of workplace violence during the pandemic, with two-thirds having been verbally threatened, and one-third of nurses reporting an increase in violence compared to the previous year. 


June 2, 2022


Topic Area: Maintenance and Operations


Recent Posts

Must Know Recalls of 2025

For the safety of our readers, Healthcare Facilities Today has closely followed all recall notices related to the industry.


Sustainability as a Baseline in Healthcare Facilities

Hospitals can balance costs, build resilience and learn from global models for sustainable design to further their green goals.


Comanche County Memorial Hospital and Southwestern Medical Center Join to Form Partnership

The partnership will go into effect by the end of December 2025.


Choosing a Disinfectant That Kills Biofilm

Bacteria form biofilms in pipes from which cells can be released during sink use and spread outside the drains in droplets or as aerosols.


Third-Party Data Breach Case Underscores Need for Cyber Risk Management

Plaintiffs alleged negligence in safeguarding patient data; defendants denied wrongdoing but settled to avoid litigation costs.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.