Alan Helgeson (announcer):
“Reimagining Rural Health,” a podcast series brought to you by Sanford Health. In this series, we explore the challenges facing health care systems across the country from improving access to equitable care, building a sustainable workforce, and discovering innovative ways to deliver high-quality, low-cost services in rural and underserved populations. Each episode examines how Sanford Health and other health systems are advancing care for the unique communities they serve.
In this episode, Matt Holsen with Sanford Health News talks with Fred Pitzl, administrator in Olathe, Kansas, and Angela Prevo, director of nursing in Ottumwa, Iowa, on the topic of preventing leader burnout.
Matt Holsen (host):
I have Fred Pitzl, administrator for the Good Samaritan Society in Olathe, Kansas, and Angela Prevo, a nursing director for the Society in Ottumwa, Iowa. We're talking about leader burnout. Do each of you have personal experiences with burnout?
Fred Pitzl (guest):
Matt, I can truly say that I have not. I've been very thankful for the role I've been able to play within the Society, really seeing the mission that we have and that, I think, that's really has kept me from that whole area of burnout. So I'm very thankful for that. That sense of purpose has really helped out.
Matt Holsen:
Angela, have you had any experiences? How did you deal with it?
Angela Prevo (guest):
Yes, unfortunately I have experienced burnout being in the manager position for 22 years. Emotionally, physically I've experienced burnout.
Matt Holsen:
What are some of the common signs you look for when it comes to burnout?
Angela Prevo:
I think sometimes when I've experienced burnout, I might get mood changes. I might lose sleep.
Matt Holsen:
How does that affect you in your day-to-day?
Angela Prevo:
It makes my attitude not as good as it should be. I like to maintain a positive attitude and when I start feeling myself go down that negative road, I have to find ways to cope.
Matt Holsen:
Are there common signs you look for with your team, Fred?
Fred Pitzl:
Absolutely. Something we're always looking out for is we want people to be engaged at work. So some of the things you're going to see is people just not having the energy for the job. Maybe not having the same passion that they once did, not taking pride in their work. That's something that we would look for, becoming cynical. That's something I try to catch myself too. That could be a step towards burnout. Then maybe you're just exhausted as we were talking about, exhausted emotionally, you're spent at the end of the day. Those are things that we would see.
Matt Holsen:
Are there specific resources you and your team have in place to help people avoid or recover from burnout?
Fred Pitzl:
I would say the most important thing is to use your PTO. We are afforded a lot of time that we can use. Because sometimes people either fill us or they drain us. And when they start to drain you more than they fill you, I think it's time for us to take a break. We need a break from them. They need a break from us. I think that's very important that we do that.
Also, within Sanford/Good Sam, we have our volunteer time off as well. We could use that. That's eight hours as given to us as employees. And that's a great time to focus on others when we're doing that.
Matt Holsen:
Explain that a little bit. What is volunteer time off?
Fred Pitzl:
Volunteer time off is a new initiative started a couple years ago. So, if you're a full-time employee, you get eight hours to volunteer at whatever organization of your choice and you can serve there. You're representing the Society, you're representing Sanford. If you're a part-time employee, I believe it's four hours that you're allowed to give (while being paid).
Matt Holsen:
It's a great program. Angela, let's go back to the resources available. You're in charge of a number of nurses. What is there for them if they're struggling? What can be done?
Angela Prevo:
I always encourage them to talk to their manager. Of course, that's why I need to stay 100% all the time. But I also encourage them to reach out to peers that they can trust. Find a friend at work, somebody that they can safely vent their feelings to.
Matt Holsen:
When it comes to recovering, maybe avoiding too, do you kind of align with Fred there too? Use your PTO, take a break.
Angela Prevo:
Work-life balance is extremely important, and I think as leaders that we sometimes forget that because our nature is to just work, work, work. And we have to remind ourselves that that is important.
Matt Holsen:
It's a different interest industry because there's a resident at the end there and you want to be there for the resident. Is that kind of why people are pushing themselves so hard?
Fred Pitzl:
I think people truly care and when they care so much, they don't take it, take time away, that can impede with what they're doing. So, I think we just have to give people permission to take time off and to step away. That's going to help them in the long run.
In our industry, we have so many regulations that we're under, there's a myriad of them and we just have to make sure that we are doing what's right by the residents. We're also wanting to make sure we're taking care of our employees. That they get the time away so they can better care for the residents that we're called to serve.
Matt Holsen:
Is that stressful to have all of that hanging over your head?
Fred Pitzl:
Yes, that's very stressful but that's why you need a team. You can't take it all on yourself. You have to really spread out what we're doing. We've got a very, very important mission now. We're called to share God's love through the work of health, healing and comfort. It takes all of us in the building to make that happen. And I always align people's work to the mission. If you're a cook, if you're a person who's hanging pictures, if you're a person cleaning a room, you are helping us live out that mission.
Matt Holsen:
Angela, are there changes in the industry you'd like to see to better support leaders and reduce burnout?
Angela Prevo:
I guess the changes I would like to see are maybe tools that we can give our staff to be mindful and aware of the signs of burnout and what to do about it.
Fred Pitzl:
The advocacy that's going on with Good Samaritan Society in Washington, D.C., is amazing. Because there's so many different regulations that are trying to come down upon us right now. There's a staffing mandate. So, I think just continuing to have that advocacy out there is so important for us. Those are things we'd like to see happen so we can care for our residents, care for our staff so they can care for our residents.
Matt Holsen:
Angela, you were putting your hand up again. Do you have something to add?
Angela Prevo:
Yes, just teaching also healthy ways to take care of yourself by getting enough rest, promoting exercise, eating right. Because I feel like sometimes as health care workers, we don't take good care of ourselves, and we end up showing up to work tired or things like that.
Fred Pitzl:
And there's a lot of resources with our own company here with wellness, with well-being that we have the opportunity to take advantage of. And those are things I encourage anyone who's a Good Sam/Sanford employee to look at what's available within Sanford.
Also, look at The Sanford Leader (internal tool). There's opportunities for you to become a better leader, which I think is going to help you avoid burnout if you are focusing on the right things with our residents. There's a lot of different opportunities for us out there as leaders.
Matt Holsen:
Rely on that support. I think that's great advice. Thank you two for joining us here on this important topic.
Fred and Angela:
Thank You, Matt.
Alan Helgeson:
You've been listening to “Reimagining Rural Health,” a podcast series brought to you by Sanford Health. Hear more episodes in this series or other Sanford Health series on Apple, Spotify and news.sanfordhealth.org.
