Poetry as an Antidote to Burnout: A Nurse's Perspective on Healing Practices

Burnout - Causes and CuresBurnout is costly to employers in several ways:Employee turnoverIncreased risk of worker injury or errorDeteriorating culture as energy becomes misdirected toward scapegoatingContrary to conventional wisdom, burnout is not solely related to workload, it’s also related to feeling like “a cog in a machine.” When an unsustainable workload becomes even more stressful due to a lack of clarity, lack of control and an effort-reward imbalance, relationships become strained and people become siloed. According to leading researchers, burnout is identified when three psychological states exist:High levels of cynicism: an indifference, negative perspectiveHigh levels of exhaustion: emotional, spiritual and physicalLow levels of professional efficacy: the belief in ones ability to make a difference.Burnout can creep into a workplace and worsen over time. It often starts with an erosion of engagement. Work shifts from important, interesting and meaningful to exhausting. Next comes the erosion of emotions, where cynicism, anger, anxiety and depression start to surface. Finally, burned out workers comes to experience a mismatch between themselves and the organization. They lose faith that the organization has their best interests at heart.In this episode, I have a delightful conversation with Susan Farese, RN - a healthcare worker and mentor, a Veteran, a poet and photographer and the owner of PR firm “SJF Communications.” We talk about how burnout is taking its toll on our healthcare teams, and how she uses poetry, among other tools to cope.About Susan FareseSusan J. Farese, MSN, RN, a native of New Jersey, is the owner/ president of SJF Communications, San Diego, CA.SJF Communications, originally established in 2002 in San Jose, CA, provides communications services including Public Relations, Publicity, Marketing, Websites, Filmmaking, Acting, Social Media, Writing and Public Speaking, Photography, Mentoring, Coaching and Legal Nurse Consulting services.Ms. Farese has diversified experience in health care/communications, including clinical nursing practice, management, education/training, research and consulting.She has a Masters Degree in Nursing in Adult Health from Seton Hall University (NJ) and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Widener University (PA).Susan has presented numerous continuing education classes, seminars, and keynotes. Susan is the author of the book Poetic Expressions in Nursing…Sharing the Caring (1993 and 2021), currently teaches ‘Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku’ workshops and has published poetry and articles on a variety of topics.In addition to her being on the advisory board of San Diego Film Week, Susan is a member of SAG-AFTRA, American Legion Post 43, Veterans in Media & Entertainment, San Diego Writers Ink the San Diego Press Club, the Southern California Writers Association, and the Army Nurse Corps Association. Since 2017, Susan has been a Volunteer Mentor in the San Diego State University Aztec Mentor Program. For more information on this episode please go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/105