I selected an article from the AJN: American Journal of Nursing. The study focuses on diabetes burnout in patients with Type 1 diabetes. The study findings showed that physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion were leading causes in diabetes burnout, leading to patients to become non-compliant with their diagnosis and self care. This topic relates to my current job in Primary Care because I have several patients with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. I think it’s important to realize the barriers that patients with this diagnosis may encounter so we know how to better help and educate them before they reach that point of burnout. Patient education is such an important part of our job as nurses so I think learning new information such as this can benefit us in our work.
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This is very personal to me as I am a Type 1 diabetic. Diagnosed at the age of 6, I have been living with diabetes for 35 years. The findings in your article are very real, it is definitely a battle for us diabetics to fight every day. In my journey I would say the physical aspects have affected me the most .While researching this topic I found a very interesting article demonstrating how mother’s of Type 1 diabetics can experience the same burnout as patients themselves. According to Lindstrom, Aman, Lindahl Norber & Anderzen-Carlsson (2017) “an inner feeling derived from an extremely challenging experience of mothering, encompassing involuntary responsibility and constant evaluation. It continued to discuss the role of the medical team to not only treat the child but the mother as well. Similar to diabetic patients, mothers of children with diabetes often too experience low self esteem, lack of control and a “why me?” attitude. Continued studies such as these, with extended research will enhance care for the family as a whole. Increased education and knowledge of burnout for patients and families could assist nurses, social workers, psychologists and counselors conducting pediatric diabetes care become more attentive to mother’s situation and have procedures for counseling interventions. (Lindstrom, Aman, Lindahl Norber & Anderzen-Carlsson, 2017)
Lindstrom C., Aman J., Lindahl Norberg A., Forsberg M., & Anderzen-Carlsson A. (2017). “Mission Impossible”; the Mothering of a Child with Type 1 Diabetes From the Perspective of Mothers Experiencing Burnout. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2017; 36: 149-156
It’s interesting to hear feedback from someone who has experienced the same effects as mentioned in this article. I imagine that living with Type 1 diabetes, as well as being a parent of a child with diabetes would be challenging. People don’t think to consider the effect it can have on the entire family as mentioned above. If healthcare providers are more aware of this, more education and resources can be provided to that patient and family, which can hopefully decrease the risk for burnout. Thanks for the response!
Hello Sadie,
When you think of “burn-out” one usually thinks of occupational burn-out but a chronic illness is a job. “Chronic Illness Burnout” ( Garlit, D., 2019). With a job at least one can take a “break” or a vacation or a personal day off and most folks have at least 1-2 days off each week but with a chronic illnes like diabetes there is no time off, not even a day or part of a day. In your research findings one of the participants said “…even if I feel burned out, I’ve still got to check my blood sugar. I still got to give (my body) a shot. I still got to keep track of all of it. It doesn’t matter if I feel burned out about it. I still got to do it.” I feel like this is an important topic in nursing. Unfortunantely I do not feel like nursing in a acute clinical setting gives us a knowledge base to recognize “burnout” or the time or knowledge to help our patients overcome it. I’m thinking we call it “non-compliance”. We might try to adjust their meds, diet, activity but not tend to their psychological needs that “illness burnout” requires. What do you think? Do you find your clinical setting really allows you to try to converse with your patients and find out what is really going on?
Thanks for sharing,
Loretta Gayle Bergman
I think that my clinical setting allows me to get to know my patients very well. I work with an Internal Medicine provider, so several of his patients are diabetic patients, some being non-compliant. As a nurse, I think that I can assist the patient in different resources that are available at our facility, as well as communicate with the provider on thoughts that may help the patient better participate in self care. Being the RN for that type of provider, these patients are willing to contact me from home with questions or concerns they have with their illness that I can relay to the provider or give nurse advice on. Thanks for the question!
Hello Johnny,
You must have a lot of insight to diabetes burnout having lived with it since the age of 6. In looking for response to this blog I found the article “The Relationship of Parental Overprotection Perceived Child Vulnerability and Parenting Stresss to Uncertainty in Youth with Chronic Illness”. The article reports that there have not been many studies to identify familial influences that contribute to the uncertainty of illnessess in children i.e. diabetes and asthma.The parenting variable studied were: (1) parental overprotection, (2) parenting stress, (3) perceived child vulnerability. You might find it interesting as the study discusses each of these variable. I work in OB and found an article “Maternal gestation diabetes likned to diabetes in children” in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (April 15, 2019). Just curious, do you know if your mother had gestional diabets? And do you feel like your relationship with your mother was more stressed or over-protective due to your diabetes?
Thanks for sharing
Gayle
Diabetes is a very touching subject; therefore, an educational tool on diabetes can never be too much. Diabetes has taken the lives of two family members. As a nurse, I am willing to go above and beyond in educating my patients about diabetes and the preventive measures needed to slow the progress of this disease. When the body overworks or goes through constant stress, it will release stress hormones (i.e., adrenaline and cortisol) into the bloodstream. This will wear an individual down mentally and physically, thus making it harder for patients to manage their diabetes. Not everyone believes in herbal supplements, but I have always encouraged close family and friends to take diabetic herbal supplements if their healthcare provider says they are pre-diabetic. I do not encourage my patients, however, because of other health issues and comorbidities. I know that this article is a few years old, but it is very informative. Two years ago, I did an educational report on N. Sativa on my job. In the article “Nigella Sativa Improves Glucose Homeostasis and Serum Lipids in Type 2 Diabetes,” the authors wrote that “the study revealed promising findings for the improvement of glycemia and serum lipids in diabetes” (p. 9). I’m just sharing this research because I found your topic to be informative.
References:
Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara, R., Golzarand, M., Ghaffari, M. P., & Djafarian, K. (2017). Nigella sativa improves glucose homeostasis and serum lipids in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 35, 6-13. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.08.016
This is such a great subject, as I have a step-son that is 6 years old who is a type 1 diabetic. He was diagnosed when he was 2 years old. It is a challenge and “burnout” is so real. I found a scholarly research article that concluded that the four major themes associated with diabetes burnout are 1. feeling mentally drained, 2. experiencing a detachment from self, diabetes care and support system, 3. being powerless and paralyzed to “climb out” of diabetes burnout, and 4. contributing potential factor to diabetes burnout. In conclusion, “self-descriptions of diabetes burnout suggest that it is a combination of emotions and behaviors on a spectrum from exhaustion to detachment accompanied by an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. More studies are needed to further clarify diabetes burnout and its distinction from, or overlap with, other related psychosocial concepts in diabetes care. Having access to the proper resources is such key along with the proper education. This is a great research topic! Thank you.
Reference:
Abdoli, S. Hessler, D., Smither, B., Stuckey, H., Vora, A., (2019). Descriptions of diabetes burnout from individuals with Type 1 diabetes: an analysis of YouTube videos. Retrieved on February 29th from http://doi.org/10.1111/dme.14047.
Diabetes has a major impact on the lives of 16 million Americans and their families. Health care costs for diabetes continue to climb, and people with diabetes have average medical costs almost four times higher than people without diabetes. Diabetes affects more Americans, and costs more money, than AIDS and breast cancer combined (an estimated $100 billion each year). It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States today. Increased diabetes awareness and education will undoubtedly help reduce the health complications which have long been associated with this disease–therefore, also helping to decrease diabetes-related health care costs. Whether an individual has had diabetes for years or is newly diagnosed, diabetes education programs can enlighten and motivate that person to live a happier, healthier lifestyle.
Braiotta, R. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/images/nfb/publications/vod/vfal9912.htm