Let’s not confuse Trauma and Burnout
I recently came across an article titled “Why Doctors and Nurses Hate the Word Burnout.” The article reported that many healthcare practitioners don’t like that phrase. The writer consulted physicians and nurses for alternative phrases. One physician recommended using the term “complex trauma.” She stated that trauma is “…a lot more difficult to treat.”
She is correct, trauma is much more difficult to treat…mostly because it’s not burnout.
The article went on to explain that many practitioners have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). True, but PTSD is not burnout. Conflating “trauma” with “burnout” will set the stage for confusion and inappropriate care.