Nurse burnout may contribute to increased hospitalizations for older patients

Editor's Note:

Recent data show a direct correlation between nurse practitioner (NP) burnout and patients– particularly older adults with chronic diseases – utilizing the hospital and emergency department. Sage Journals published the findings on December 25.

In 2018 and 2019, researchers collected survey data related to burnout from 1,244 primary care NPs from 6 geographically diverse states and merged that data with Medicare claims on ED use and hospitalizations among 467,466 older adults with chronic conditions. Among surveyed NPs, 26.3% reported burnout. Researchers found that with a 1-unit increase in the standardized burnout score, chronically ill older patients were 2.8% more likely to visit the ED; 3.2% more likely to require an Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) ED visit; 3.9% more likely to require hospitalization; and 6.2% more likely to need ACSC hospitalization. 

This study is reportedly one of the first to examine how burnout among NPs impacts patient outcomes. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are the fastest-growing segment of primary care clinicians, with 335,000 practicing NPs in 2022, and more expansion expected. They make up 27% of all primary care clinicians. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 60% of NPs— who are on the front lines of caring for aging patients with chronic diseases—reported experiencing burnout.