The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken its toll on healthcare professionals. In some instances, it has even caused these professionals to experience decision fatigue.
What Is Decision Fatigue?
Decision fatigue is an issue that can crop up when a person is tasked with making many decisions in a short period of time. In this instance, an individual can become overwhelmed by decisions. Then, the individual’s ability to make the best-possible decisions deteriorates. And the individual may struggle to properly weigh the pros and cons of decisions moving forward.
Is Decision Fatigue Related to COVID-19?
Anyone can experience decision fatigue. However, healthcare professionals may be more prone to this issue than others, due in part to COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many healthcare professionals to deal with extreme workloads and tremendous amounts of stress. Together, these factors have made healthcare personnel increasingly susceptible to decision fatigue.
How Can You Tell If You’re Dealing with Decision Fatigue?
Common symptoms include:
- Brain fog
- Feeling tired
- Frequent procrastination
- Impulsivity
- Poor sleep
- Headaches
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or dissatisfaction
The effects of decision fatigue range in terms of severity. They can include:
- Impulse Buying: People may be more likely to impulsively buy items after making a series of tough decisions.
- Trade-Offs: When faced with a decision that has potential positive and negative outcomes, an individual may require extra time to make their choice. Also, the individual may make a decision that he or she ultimately regrets.
- Decision Avoidance: An individual may do everything in their power to neglect, ignore, or avoid making a decision.
For healthcare professionals who may be dealing with this issue, it is paramount to address the issue right away. Otherwise, decision fatigue can make it virtually impossible for healthcare personnel to provide patients with the care and support they deserve.
How to Combat Decision Fatigue
There are several things you can do to minimize the risk of decision fatigue, such as:
- Establish priorities. When faced with multiple decisions, determine which ones are most important. Evaluate the most important decisions first, then move on to less important ones.
- Eliminate distractions. Turn off your cell phone and remove any other potential distractions when you need to make decisions.
- Take breaks throughout the day. Do not make all of your decisions at once. Rather, take breaks at regular intervals.
Lastly, if your job requires frequent decision-making that becomes too much to handle, you may want to consider healthcare career opportunities elsewhere. At this point, Accurate Staffing can help you identify and land your dream job.
Explore Healthcare Career Opportunities with Us
Accurate Staffing is proud to be a top healthcare staffing agency in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Our healthcare recruiters can learn about you and what you want to accomplish in the healthcare field. Next, we can reach out to hospitals and other healthcare organizations on your behalf and help you grow your career.
Our team can keep you up to date on healthcare career opportunities. To learn more or get started with us, please contact us today.