Abstract
Physician burnout has become a prevalent issue in intensive care units, and studies have shown it has become worse with the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing and reducing ICU physician burnout is important because of the potential effects on patient care, physician health, and the hospital. The most common symptoms of burnout include fatigue, callousness towards patients, inability to feel happy, anxiety, and depression. Causes of burnout can include work related factors, personal characteristics, and organizational factors. COVID has brought unprecedented work flow, increased number of critical and ethical decision making, and increase in death, all of which can lead to burnout. Strategies to combat burnout generally come in two different ways—organization based and individual based. This paper examines these current strategies and their efficacy in reducing burnout and proposes an implementation plan for the ICU to use based on current literature.
