Suffering at work: 96% of caregivers feel intense fatigue

According to a new survey carried out in France among 3,345 caregivers, 96% of healthcare professionals feel intense fatigue when they work.

“The 2022 Posos barometer revealed that 94% of caregivers felt intense fatigue at work, impacting the quality of care for 89% of them because of their stress,” explain the authors of the survey. “Today, our new study shows that, whether in the hospital environment or in the private sector, fatigue and burnout are on the rise for healthcare professionals,” they add.

Among doctors, those who work in hospitals are the most likely to report frequently feeling fatigue, at a rate of 60%.

What are the causes of the intense fatigue of our caregivers?

For 55% of caregivers, administrative burden is the primary cause of fatigue, for 54% the lack of recognition, for 46% too few staff and for 45% too many patients. Next comes the lack of recovery time (43.5%), poor management or poor organization of teams (40.5%) and lack of suitable equipment (22%).

For caregivers, the three essential levers to activate to improve their working conditions are: more support or recognition, better remuneration as well as a better balance between professional and personal life.

Liberal nurses are the health professionals who most feel the absence of support or recognition (73%) and who would most like to benefit from higher remuneration (77%).

Intense fatigue is bad for the health of our caregivers

Finally, one in two French people are aware of the crisis facing caregivers today and 64% of them have a good image of doctors. “In detail, 47% think that health professionals work in bad conditions, and for 39% of them in very bad conditions,” concludes the report.

Excessive fatigue has many negative impacts on health, as it can lead to weight gain, poor skin quality, memory problems and even depression.