The WCC Podcast: Confronting Burnout and Moral Injury The Workplace Change Collaborative

It's been nearly three years since the Workplace Change Collaborative was established to address burnout and moral injury in healthcare, and create a national framework to combat worker distress.  In this final episode of the series, Dr. Dean hosts a 'roundtable' conversation with several leaders of the Workplace Change Collaborative to reflect on what they've learned since the project began, and how their work has influenced how to address burnout and moral injury going forward.  Speakers include:
Dr. Patricia “Polly” Pittman, Director of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity Dr. Simon Talbot, Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Moral Injury of Healthcare Dr. Candice Chen, Pediatrician, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University, co-lead of the Workplace Change Collaborative Kelly Nedrow, Senior Director for Health Issues with AFT Healthcare Becka DeSmidt, Project Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement  
The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

Whether we’re advocating for ourselves or others, how do we most effectively ask for what we want or need?  What is the difference between big “A” and little “a” advocacy, and why does it matter?
Dr. Patricia Patrician, Professor and Rachel Z. Booth Endowed Chair in Nursing at the School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham speaks to how to craft your message so that people at all levels of an organization hear you. Dr. Carlton Abner rejoins us to share tips and techniques on how to teach students to advocate for themselves.  And Kelly Nedrow, Senior Director for Health Issues with AFT, explores how to bring people together as a coalition and then bring that coalition to a bigger stage.
The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

Moral injury can arise from betrayals – intentional or not – rooted in organizational decisions that prevent health workers from providing optimal patient care.  And operational breakdown, i.e., a lack of physical and mental health safety, excessive work demands, and inefficiencies, can lead to burnout.
Dr. Patricia “Polly” Pittman, Director of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, illustrates the relationship between worker distress and leadership, and why the culture of an organization matters.  Dr. Frankie Fachilla rejoins us to explain how to strengthen the relationships between those on the ‘frontlines’ and those in the C-suite. And Dr. Amy Locke, Chief Wellness Officer, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Utah joins us to talk about the importance of measurement and accountability in driving organizational change.
The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

Distress comes from disempowerment, and disempowerment can lead to disengagement. How does that happen? What are the conditions that foster disempowerment?  How can we reverse course and empower workers to use their voices, be heard, and enact change?
Dr. Randl Dent, Research Scientist at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at the George Washington University explains how a culture of psychological safety can create a foundation for empowerment.  Lisa Ladendorff, LSW, rejoins us to talk about how institutions can engage workers in designing changes to workflows to reduce operational inefficiencies, and ensure fair and meaningful recognition and rewards.  And Dr. Carlton Abner, Assistant Professor and Associate Provost of Campus Health & Wellness Kansas City University shares his work focusing on empowering healthcare students before they graduate and enter the workforce.
The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

Health workers go into this field with a mission to help.  But the many drivers of burnout and moral injury can result in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, anger, frustration, shame, guilt, and a sense of futility.  Untreated burnout and moral injury threaten the health of workers, patients, and the relationship between the two – the very thing health practitioners work so hard to foster.
Dr. Simon Talbot, a Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, and Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, explains how burnout and moral injury affect workers and those they serve. Lisa Ladendorff, LSW, Director of Training and Consulting Programs at the Northeast Oregon Network, breaks down how combating worker distress needs buy-in from all levels of the workforce.  And Dr. Frankie Fachilla, Director of Clinical Education at Cornerstone in Tennessee, talks about how none of the changes needed to address these stressors happen in a vacuum.
The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.

US healthcare is a sixth of our national economy comprised of nearly 15 million people, and its workforce is faltering. Workers are experiencing burnout and moral injury at an alarming rate, and the federal government is taking notice. 
How did we get here?  What went wrong?  And why does the government care?  Dr. Wendy Dean explores the drivers and consequences of burnout and moral injury with Corey Feist, CEO and Co-Founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, and Dr. Candice Chen, co-lead of the Workplace Change Collaborative.

The Workplace Change Collaborative is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about moral injury, burnout, and what to do about both, access our interactive framework and additional resources at wpchange.org.
To learn more about The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, go to drlornabreen.org.