Emily Ferjuste

1/24/15

Preventing burnout among general practitioners: is there a possible route?

Burnout seems to be something that is common in many healthcare
professionals. This article studies different techniques that are used in preventing
burnout in general practitioners. Authors have suggested using supervision groups
or Balint groups as a way of preventing burnout. These groups had someone that
was nurturing to their development process. This forced the general practitioners to
become more aware and reflective of their work experience.
The groups met regularly for presentations, role playing, and an interview of
their experience. In these groups they focused on all the problems of their
professional like but mostly the troubles of the doctor-patient relationship. This was
very interesting to me because they seemed to all have some issues that they
eventually learned to voice but did not let it get to the point where they were burnt
out. They had someone specifically set aside to listen to their problems and help
them find a way to make it work in a good environment for themselves and the
patients. Having the regular meetings allowed them to not let problems pile up and
instead let them address them when they occurred.
The results of this study showed that the general practitioners benefited from
the supervision. They found ways to organize their work and patients that were
once tiresome are now considered a challenge. They have been able to find a
different way to speak to their patients and have been able to be more
compassionate. These groups have also helped improve their lives at home in the
evenings where they had the energy to listen and talk their spouse and children.

Overall it seems as though the practioners in this article simply appreciated the
opportunity to develop a more reflective position that was able to help in many
aspects of their lives. Although this may not be a complete solution to preventing
burnout but it seems to be extremely beneficial.
Works Cited
Nielsen, Helena Galina, and Charlotte Tulinius. "Preventing Burnout Among General Practitioners: Is There A
Possible Route?."Education For Primary Care 20.5 (2009): 353-359. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24
Jan. 2015.