Burnout in healthcare isn't just about being tired. Dr. Nikia Smith Ep 159 скачать в хорошем качестве

Burnout in healthcare isn't just about being tired. Dr. Nikia Smith Ep 159

Welcome back to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine podcast! In this interview, Dr. Nakia Smith, a board-certified anesthesiologist, wellness coach, and retreat curator, shares how she experienced burnout twice and nearly left medicine after years of escalating exhaustion, irritability, emotional numbness, and short-staffed working conditions that culminated in a brutal near-20-hour call shift. She describes how burnout builds over time, why recovery takes sustained effort, and how she began healing through self-education (including learning about compassion fatigue and self-compassion), reconnecting with activities that restore her, and making small, consistent changes like movement and prioritized hobbies. Dr. Smith explains how inadequate administrative support and shifting workplace demands pushed her to leave a job that would not put agreed terms into a contract, leading her to seek roles with no call and later a part-time contract as a non-negotiable. Now on her fourth attending role in Las Vegas, she works a contracted part-time schedule (eight days per month) to create space for entrepreneurship and community-building. She also discusses hosting annual four-day wellness retreats for physicians (expanding to other clinicians) that include CME and education on burnout recovery, moral injury, perfectionism, invisible labor/third shift, and boundary-setting, alongside rest and wellness activities, emphasizing community support and practical advocacy strategies. She encourages clinicians to talk to others, keep asking for what they need (including administrative time), and recognize shifting leverage amid provider shortages. Connect with Dr. Nikia Smith: 🌐 Website https://sheisfireforged.com/ Instagram   / nikiasmithmd   -------------- **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support, and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine. Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don’t forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released. **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life. **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you. Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Dr. Nakia Smith: Anesthesiologist, Wellness Coach & Burnout Survivor 00:46 Why Anesthesiology? From “I’ll Be a Doctor” to Finding Her OR Home 02:16 Burnout Boils Over: Short Staffing, “Dream Job” Hours & Wanting to Quit Medicine 05:37 Early Warning Signs: Exhaustion, Irritability, Numbness & Autopilot 07:26 When “Teamwork” Isn’t Enough: Colleagues, Admin Pressure & The Staffing Trap 10:03 After the 20-Hour Shift: Drawing a Line, Naming Burnout & Finding Resources 12:11 Recovery in Tiny Steps: Reclaiming Joy, Movement, and Atomic Habits 13:40 Advocating for Change: New Contract, Boundaries, and Leaving Without Terms in Writing 15:06 Setting a Non Negotiable: Leaving Call Behind 15:37 Why the System Won’t Change (and When It’s Safer to Leave) 16:23 Recovering From Burnout With Structure, Hobbies & Community 17:42 Leveling Up to Part Time: Negotiating the Contract You Want 19:09 From Personal Healing to Physician Wellness Retreats & Coaching 20:59 What Actually Happens on the 4 Day Retreat (Beyond Pampering) 24:34 Where to Start When You’re Drowning: Talk, Reconnect, Find Joy 27:02 Practical Boundary Scripts: Admin Time, Committees & Saying Yes Wisely 28:29 Staying in Medicine Differently: Role Changes + Contract Negotiation Basics 30:01 How to Reach Her + Final Takeaways on Power Shifts in Healthcare