Burnout…..
I always hear my other colleagues in the ER complain about how tired they are, and how stressful the job is.
I don’t think being a doctor is easy. It is a lot of work. You have a job that requires so much from you. And you need to be there, treat patients, fill out notes, counsel families. Sometimes you may need to be sheriff and deputy in the department.
But, I also think that as a doctor, there needs to be some sort of work-life integration.
We need to take care of ourselves.
One trick I pull to ‘pretend’ as though I have a regular schedule is to go to the gym only during the week. I also go to the grocery during the week. Therefore I leave my weekends free for any down time with family and friends. Of course I will probably also have to go to the hospital. But that should be for a few hours, after which I can focus on something else to do.
Most importantly, whenever I feel extremely burnout, I take a vacation STAT. I go off somewhere…….europe…..UK….caribbean.
Treat yourselves docs. We have earned it.
Sleepy ER Doctor Diaries 