Three Major Factors Driving Hospital Administrators to Burnout
Most people see hospitals as places where people get better from illnesses, injuries, or after surgery. But behind the scenes, hospitals have to stick to strict budgets. Whether they’re for-profit or nonprofit, hospital administrators need to make sure they don’t spend more than they bring in. Sometimes, hospitals also compete with one another on prices, putting extra pressure on administrators to keep costs low. Dealing with all this can lead to burnout, and hospital administrators face burnout more often than others. Here are the top three reasons why:
### 1. Complex and Unpredictable Financing
In most businesses, predicting finances is usually straightforward. Sales can go up and down, but trends are generally easy to spot. Hospitals, however, have a harder time predicting revenues for any given period. This makes it tough for administrators. On top of that, hospital finances are complicated: some patients pay their own bills, but most have insurance. Dealing with insurance companies can be a nightmare, and administrators have to manage this to get expenses reimbursed. Hospitals also have to treat patients who can’t pay or don’t have insurance. Plus, administrators have to work with bill collectors to get payments from less fortunate patients. Add in the complicated rules from state and national regulators, and you can see why managing hospital finances is incredibly challenging.
### 2. Life is in the Balance
People who work in hospitals are directly responsible for saving lives. Administrators may be somewhat removed from this day-to-day reality, but their decisions greatly affect how well the hospital can save lives. For instance, if a hospital can provide advanced trauma care, it can save more lives. So, when administrators decide on investments in certain technologies, they are indirectly deciding who lives or dies. This immense responsibility adds a lot of stress. Balancing the financial well-being of the hospital with the health of patients can be very hard to manage. This heavy burden is a common reason why so many hospital administrators experience burnout and sometimes leave their jobs.
### 3. Conflicting Interests
Doctors and nurses just want to provide the best care for their patients. On the flip side, hospital owners and managers are often focused on making a profit. Hospital administrators find themselves caught between these two opposing objectives. They act as a bridge between the medical staff and the financial stakeholders, and they often take the heat from both sides. Over time, the pressure to meet the demands of both groups, who want very different things, can be overwhelming. Administrators understand the motivations and arguments of both sides, but meeting the needs of everyone can seem impossible. This ongoing conflict is another major reason why hospital administrators are prone to burnout.
