Am I Burned Out at Work? A Self-Care Solution

By MD MBA Khan Salar A.

"A physician offers a prescription for overcoming burnout, a lucid guide to burnout with valuable content for employees, employers, and medical professionals."

-Kirkus

• Language: English
• Publisher: WP Lighthouse
• Release date: Oct 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798895183991

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Copyright © 2024 by Salar A. Khan, MD, MBA

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All rights reserved. This book or any of its portion may not be reproduced or transmitted in any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording, photocopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Created in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024921686

ISBN: Softcover 979-8-89518-397-7

e-Book 979-8-89518-399-1

Hardback 979-8-89518-398-4

Published by: WP Lighthouse

Publication Date: 10/15/2024

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To buy a copy of this book, please contact:

WP Lighthouse

Phone: [phone]

[e-mail]

wplighthouse.com

Contents

About the Author vii

Disclaimer xii

Prologue xv

Self-Assessment of Personality 1

Burnout Etiology and Research 10

Workplace Burnout 31

Am I Burned Out at Work? 60

My Experience and Self- management of Burnout to Prevent Severe,

Uncontrolled Burnout 72

The Phases of the Burnout Process 92

Step-by-Step Self-Care Solution for Burnout 104

Prevention of Future Burnout 131

Teaching Stress-Control Management and Internal Happiness 148

Discussion 157

Conclusion 161

Awards and Honors 165

References 167

Appendix A Poem # 1 and # 2 170

Endnotes 177

Index 181

To my late father, Mukhtar Ahmed Khan.

To my late mother, Noorjehan.

To my children, Faraz Ahmed Khan, and Saad Ahmed Khan.

To my wife, Rubina Salar.

Books by Salar A. Khan, MD, MBA

The author’s first book, entitled Unlocking the Natural-Born Leader’s Abilities: An Autobiographical Exposé (published by the author in 2023).

Shaping the Future of Global Leadership: Finding a Peaceful Solution (published by author in 2023).

Global Political Leadership and the Public: An Essential Guide To Learn the Necessary Skills and Mindset (published by the Author in 2022).

Am I Burned Out at Work? A Self-Care Solution (published by WP Lighthouse in 2024).

Salar Khan’s Cook Guide: Art, Science, and Leadership (published by Page Turner Press and Media in 2024).

About the Author

Salar A. Khan, MD, MBA, FACA, FCCP, DTCD, MCPS, has been serving as a Research Compliance Officer (RCO) at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (JBVAMC) in Chicago since 2009. As an expert, Dr. Khan has discovered his hidden talents and intuition related to clinical work as a consulting physician, pulmonologist, psychiatrist, and associate professor of medicine. Dr. Khan has also garnered leadership skills as chief of medicine, director of medical services, hospital director, CEO, and research compliance director while working in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. Before becoming an RCO, he held various positions at JBVAMC between 2000 and 2009. Dr. Khan served as a medical administration specialist, VA merit review grant administrator, and the Acting Director of Westside Institute for Science and Education. Dr. Khan was an Operating Room Buyer and Materials Manager at Michael Reese Hospital, Acting Supervisor and Central Processing /Materials Manager/Surgical Assistant at Edgewater Medical Center between 1996 and 2000.

Between 1980 and 1984, Dr. Khan treated approximately 18,000 patients during his urology, general surgery, internal medicine, and neurology residencies and as a primary care physician at various clinics. He gained patient management experience to improve prompt, on-the-spot diagnoses for establishing a solid foundation for his future clinical intuition. Between 1985 and 1987, Dr. Khan was an Attending Physician at Karachi Psychiatry Hospital in Pakistan. He oversaw psychiatric wards, examined and managed patients with psychiatric illnesses, and treated over 9,000 patients. During his tenure from 1988 to 1993 as Attending Internal Medicine, Psychiatrist, and Pulmonologist, Chief of Medicine, Chief of Staff and Hospital Director at Al-Midhnab General Hospital, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Khan treated over 65,650 patients, managed day-to-day administrative activities, supervised 350 medical/paramedical staff, performed clinical duties, worked in the academic/clinical/research arena, supervised funds, confidential files, quality management and budget development, acted as chairman of various hospital committees, and directly collaborated and built consensus with the Board of Directors. As an Associate Professor of Medicine, he taught one hundred final-year medical students, fifty dental college students, and saw inpatients and outpatients at Baqai Medical University and Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from 1993 to 1994.

Dr. Khan also garnered excellence in patient care, as well as the mindset, skillset, and knowledge necessary to successfully diagnose rare cases with minimal diagnostic testing. He commenced using passion, inspiration, and motivation to build self-confidence to unlock his abilities and quick decision-making skills to treat complicated patients without costly laboratory tests. His remarkable career and unparalleled accomplishments can be found in his book, Unlocking the Natural-Born Leader’s Abilities: An Autobiographical Exposé.

After earning his medical degree from Dow Medical College & Civil Hospital, University of Karachi, Pakistan, in 1979, Dr. Khan completed a Diploma in Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases at Ojah Institute, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan in 1983. In 1985, he received his MCPS training in chest diseases from the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Pakistan. A Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP) and the American College of Angiology (FACA), Dr. Khan holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from American Century University, School of Business, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As an RCO, Dr. Khan has played an instrumental role in establishing the new Jesse Brown Institutional Review Board (JB-IRB), a critical part of the research program dedicated to advancing excellence in healthcare for veterans. His unparalleled understanding of the regulations and research oversight, together with his scientific background contributed to the success of the project. Dr. Khan also closely collaborated with research service staff at JBVAMC, the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects at the University of Illinois (Chicago), Northwestern University, and Midwest Office of Research Oversight (ORO). While establishing the JB-IRB, Dr. Khan demonstrated outstanding leadership and managerial practices. Among other duties, he audited approximately quarter of a million pages of documents to improve workflow and efficiency.

Dr. Khan is a lifetime member of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent in North America (APPNA) since 2012, the National Association of Distinguished Professionals (NADP), since 2013, the International Association of Healthcare Professionals (IAHCP) since 2015, and the International Association of Who’s Who since 2015. He is also a featured member of the Covington Who’s Who and the Continental Who’s Who (CWW). On December 10th, 2016, CWW published his article The Value of Clinical Intuition: Kids also Get Drug Side Effects in the Inner Circle Executive magazine. In 2022, Dr. Khan was included in the Top 100 Registry Magazine’s Top 100 Doctors issue. His outstanding career achievement and exemplary leadership skills were also recognized when he received the Lifetime Achievement in Medicine & Leadership Award in 2022.

Notably, Dr. Khan is an award-winning author. After reading a fictional novel in high school, he started training his mind to improve his critical thinking. This has led Dr. Khan to unfold his intellectual dimension, which helps him to find innovative solutions for complex issues. Through his books, Dr. Khan aims to highlight the importance of intuition, insightfulness, self-confidence, intrinsic motivation, integrity, communication, patience and composure, open-mindedness, courage, compassion, and optimism. Thus far, he has written and published three books. Unlocking the Natural-Born Leader’s Abilities: An Autobiographical Exposé (2017) is a book designed to provide perspective on leadership, helping readers to learn to lead and overcome hurdles. He explores the subject of self-improvement in Am I Burned Out at Work? A Self Care Solution (2019), which also presents solutions people can implement in their lives with some practice and attention. His book Shaping the Future of Global Leadership: Finding A Peaceful Solution (2020) is a political science book that explores how to find and train global leaders to create a more peaceful and just world. His books have earned him the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award from NABE (National Association of Book Entrepreneurs), he was a finalist for the Book Excellence Award by Literary Excellence Incorporated, a finalist for the Pacific Book Award and the NIEA (National Indie Excellence Awards), and a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Dr. Khan also received five out of five stars from Readers Favorite.

As a highly accomplished individual, Dr. Khan has mastered the concept of intuition throughout the years. He defines this abstract concept as an instinct that is subconsciously developed through the various experiences one undergoes in life. Dr. Khan explains it as the art of integrating nonverbal information that a patient presents to reach a diagnosis, reducing the need for diagnostic testing. He uses it to avoid invasive and costly procedures by making accurate on-the-spot diagnoses and treating the patient conservatively with pharmacotherapy and lifestyle changes before considering a more aggressive treatment. He believes that, along with other skills, clinical intuition can help to realize the ideal of holistic patient care.

Through his numerous leadership roles, Dr. Khan has also evolved his leadership intuition. He praises his self- confidence, ascertainment of risks, understanding of situations, and decision-making skills that have aided him in expanding his leadership intuition. As he describes in his books, self-confidence is an integral skill of an effective leader. Self-confidence includes not only the ability to make prompt decisions but also problem-solving and how to make corrections. His experiences in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the USA have molded his ability to make life-altering decisions with great precision and self-confidence. His tenure at the JBVAMC has further developed his leadership skills.

As a testament to his career, Dr. Khan has received numerous awards and accolades. He is the recipient of the Award of Distinction by the International Association of Who’s Who and the Award of the Leading Physician of the World 2015 Doctors of Excellence. Dr. Khan has received Special Contributions /Incentive Awards (2005 to 2012) as well as the Chicago Federal Employee of the Year Award (2006). He was a Service to America Medal nominee (from 2006 to 2008), a Spirit of Jesse Brown Award nominee (from 2007 to 2016), a Chicago Federal Employee of the Year Outstanding Team Award nominee (2009, 2012, 2013), and a Management Excellence Award nominee (2016). He was also the Employee of the Year in 1997 at EdgeWater Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, after successfully and independently saving several hundreds of dollars for the medical center. Dr. Khan has also received international recognition from Saudi Arabia under the Ministry of Health, such as Best Hospital Administrator (1993), Enhancing Hospital Reputation (1992), Excellent Job Performance & Best Practices (1990), and Best Hospital Employee (1989). Highly praised by his peers and patients, Dr. Khan enjoys cooking, photography, and cricket. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two sons.

Please visit his webpage at www.docsalarkhan.com and the Dr. Salar Khan BOOKS YouTube Channel, where you can find his book trailers and various interviews.

Disclaimer

I wrote this book to discuss the workplace burnout that occurs in various professions and provide my insight on this matter through my personal and professional experiences as a physician. Although this book is not meant to be based on research, I hope that you can learn from my experiences in order to deal with any phase of burnout you may be experiencing or to prevent such occurrences.

Am I Burned Out At Work?

A Self-Care Solution

Salar A. Khan, MD, MBA

Prologue

My goal is to maintain your health and well- being, but it will require your willingness and active participation. To control unrealistic desires and lofty expectations and become burnout-free, follow the self-care solution guidelines in this book.

There is some intentional repetition in prose about the burnout process because most readers do not read a book in one sitting, and they may have underlying burnout. They may lack concentration or focus while reading this book. I tried to make the book simple so nonmedical professionals could benefit from it. In my opinion, repetition of some elements will provide a good continuity to grasp basic concepts related to burnout and make it easy for readers to follow a self- care solution.

Currently, there’s no valid, internationally approved definition of burnout. However, burnout has existed at all times and across all cultures. It can happen to anyone anywhere in the world. It is a huge problem in the modern world that is caused when expectations outstrip reality or when work-related conflict erupts between employee and employer. It is a pressing issue in almost all institutions and organizations. Time and money have been spent to find better solutions to prevent burnout, without success. It affects physicians, medical students and residents, nurses, social workers, teachers, lawyers, engineers, caregivers, human resources professionals, police officers, health- care CEOs, and more.

In my opinion, workplace burnout is a dysfunctional or maladaptive state of mind that presents as a progression that cannot be identified by laboratory tests or diagnostic imaging. No one has yet reached the conclusion that it is purely a medical or psychiatric illness. Workplace burnout is also used interchangeably with life management difficulties, vital exhaustion, overstrain, and workplace exhaustion. The symptoms of vital exhaustion continue daily for two weeks, along with being unable to concentrate, emotional instability, irritability, dizziness, and poor sleep. These factors interfere with burnout victims’ ability to perform jobs. They feel overworked, undervalued, and unappreciated, which gradually erodes their mental capacity and makes them inefficient at work.

Remember that no job is ideal, and workplace burnout is becoming a national epidemic. Our minds and bodies give us warning signs. People experiencing burnout feel overwhelmed, tense, forgetful, frustrated, physically and emotionally exhausted, depersonalized, hopeless, negative, and worthless—all of which lead to severe depression and suicidal thoughts. Burnout is a treatable condition, but it requires the patient’s full participation. Once burnout victims lose the will to survive, negativity will overcome them and control their minds, which will result in decreased self-esteem, motivation, and productivity. This in turn leads to isolation, alcoholism, and drug use, followed by depression and contemplation of suicide when life seems meaningless. Burnout victims are hesitant to seek consultation because these visits may have future adverse effects on their jobs (i.e., mental health stigma). Therefore, some people may be late to seek help or advice, and thus may damage their careers by burning out or getting fired from work.

Early onset of burnout can be avoided by maintaining work-life balance, which can be achieved by making changes in daily life event activities. Never underestimate the power of self- care: you have ultimate control over your health and well-being. Severe burnout victims must consult with a psychologist or psychiatrist to receive treatment, which may include antidepressants, psychotherapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy to gain control over severe burnout and to prevent advancement to the suicide phase.

The greatest life satisfaction often comes from the greatest toil. I have created an identifying formula and self-care solution to cure or control work-related burnout at any organization anywhere in the world. I have also developed a screening tool that primary care physicians can use with their patients to identify early symptoms of burnout in order to manage and prevent its advancement.

Workplace burnout is typically found in human services professions due to their high-stress work environments and the emotional demands of the jobs. High levels of burnout are found among CEOs, the health care sector, social workers, nurses, teachers, lawyers, engineers, customer service representatives, and police officers. Surprisingly, it is associated with highly experienced workers with increased workloads. It appears slowly and is only recognized when it is severe. It appears when workers cannot match the expectations of their jobs and are unable to handle pressure well, and thus experience burnout. Some workers have far greater stressors but effectively deal with them and avoid burnout. In this era, there is too much advancement in economic and industrial growth, fast lifestyles, increased work demand, too many expectations in a short period of time, and incompetent and unprofessional leadership running businesses without respect for human beings and their ability to perform work to match their skills. This leads to psychological stress, which later leads to exhaustion.

Recently, I was reading an article related to severe burnout among physicians, medical students and residents, nurses, social workers, teachers, lawyers, engineers, caregivers, human resources professionals, police officers, and healthcare chief executive officers (CEOs) who had lost their jobs because they had depression, had contemplated suicide or had even committed suicide.

I felt grief and immediately decided to write this book because these are highly educated professionals who spent their time and money to get to where they are today. To think that after all that, they found their lives to be meaningless came as a shock to me. I realized