Resources to Understand and Address Professional Burnout, Build Resiliency

• By: IPA
• On: 04/17/2019 11:52:31
• In: IPA Updates
• Comments: 0

Addressing well-being and burnout within the pharmacy profession is a primary goal of IPA's strategic plan. IPA recognizes that any advancement of the profession will never meet its full potential if those boots-on-the-ground pharmacists and pharmacy technicians tasked with providing additional services and patient care are compromised by burnout. Perhaps more importantly, a healthy and thriving clinician workforce is imperative to ensuring optimal patient health outcomes and safety.
 
IPA is tackling this issue on several fronts, including compiling a website of resources – www.iarx.org/burnout - to help our members understand and assess burnout and find self-care tools to improve their well-being to help reverse burnout and build resiliency.
 

A Refresher

Before getting into the resources that IPA has compiled, here is a quick overview of professional burnout and resiliency.
 
The National Academy of Medicine describes burnout as “a syndrome characterized by a high degree of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (i.e., cynicism), and a low sense of personal accomplishment at work.”
 
The Berkeley Well-being Institute describes resiliency as “the ability to manage challenges, quickly recovering from them, and even growing and improving as a result of these challenges.”
 

The Resources

With these definitions in place, here's an overview of the resources available. Use them for yourself or refer them to a colleague. Many of these resources are not profession-specific, so they can be used by your non-pharmacy colleagues as well.
 
Understanding burnout
Understand what burnout is (and is not) and how it affects you, your colleagues, your practice, and potentially your patients. Included are the National Academy of Medicine's extensive resource center, research articles, and the efforts of national organization to address burnout.
 
Assessment
Here you will find tools to assess work-related dimensions of well-being and levels of burnout. These tools include those for self-assessment and team, practice, or institution-wide measurement.
 
Resources
Find tools, tips, and strategies to build resilience and improve overall well-being in order to reverse or prevent burnout. This extensive list includes resources for:

• Leaders
• Individuals (Including Student Pharmacists)
• Online Community-Build: Peer Support
• Promoting Resiliency
• Personal Well-being

 

What Else?

IPA's burnout and resiliency page will continually be updated as additional resources become available. The webpage is just one of several ways IPA is working to address this important issue.
  This year's IPA Goes Local events will address burnout and resiliency, exploring prevention and mitigation of burnout, reducing stress, and enhancing your joy your profession. This program is a partnership with the Iowa Medical Society, so invite your non-pharmacy colleagues too. Find one near you!
  In addition, IPA has partnered with the Mevyn Group to offer members additional resources and services to help pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy organizations develop professional resiliency and avoid professional burnout at a discounted rate. More information about the Meyvn Group's services.
 
IPA will also be launching a nationwide podcast – ResilienceRx – on the Pharmacy Podcast Network focusing on resiliency, well-being, and helping pharmacists grow amidst stress. Each episode will feature a “Fail Forward” interview with a pharmacy leader and a personal growth and well-being tip from Tammy Rogers, founder of the Meyvn Group.