Essay On Human Services Burnout

Causes and Prevention of Burnout in Human Services Staff High-stress jobs such as those in the human service field can cause serious issues such as burnout. Burnout can show up in a multitude of ways for employees. For organizations this can cause a large number of sick days or they may experience a high turnover rate. Human service workers enter the workforce full of hopes of making changes for those people who they want to work. Like every other job there is always a high hope of helping others and optimism that change will happen but because of the significant amount of work stress occurs which often leads to burnout.
Definition
“Burnout is a state of exhaustion, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional that an individual experiences when under extreme stress” (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2007). “Burnout can be identified by three major features: emotional exhaustion, feelings of decreased successful outcomes with clients, and increased feelings of being de-sensitized to the needs of clients” (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2007). Those who suffer from burnout may show emotional, behavioral, or physical symptoms. Emotional symptoms maybe helplessness, decreased satisfaction, feeling of failure or feeling drained, and may also have more absences due to illness. Behavioral
Robinson (2010), “Managers can identify and prevent burnout by knowing the meaning and signs of burnout, understanding the causes of burnout, developing interventions to prevent burnout, and analyzing how they deal with their own personal and work –related stress” (para. 6). When you are a manager it is important that you get to know your employees and who he or she is. What is important to them and what he or she wants to accomplish. There needs to be a relationship with the employee’s not necessary personal but one where a manager is able to intervene and be comfortable doing so when