Frontline Fatigue: The Silent Crisis of Overlooked Workers in Laboratory Medicine

As we step into the new year, I find myself reflecting on the past 12 months, as many of us do, and thinking about how we can make things better moving forward. For those of us in laboratory medicine, the topic of workplace burnout feels like an ever-present shadow—a problem we've discussed for years but haven’t truly solved. The nature of our work—demanding, detail-oriented, and often invisible—sets us up for exhaustion. Add to that a relentless workload and chronic understaffing, and it’s no wonder so many of us are running on empty.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as a workplace phenomenon caused by unmanaged chronic stress. It shows up as:

• Emotional exhaustion

• A diminished sense of personal accomplishment

• Feelings of energy depletion

• Increased mental distance from work

• Negativity or cynicism about work

• A sense of ineffectiveness

  
  

While burnout isn’t classified as a mental disorder, its inclusion in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon is a big deal. It’s official recognition that burnout is a serious workplace issue that can’t be ignored.

My Own Burnout Story

If you’d asked me a few years ago, I would have brushed off burnout as a buzzword—something other people complained about but not me. I’m a “get-it-done” kind of person. But during the pandemic, burnout hit me like a freight train. My wife and I welcomed our first son—born at just 29 weeks—and spent three grueling months visiting the NICU daily.

At the same time, I was on a year-long laboratory assignment in Chicago, juggling work, family, and my own mental health. Those days were a blur of exhaustion and survival. I’ve had to be intentional—and yes, a little selfish—about setting boundaries to recover and protect my well-being since then.

Why Burnout Runs So Deep in Labs

The reasons behind burnout in our field are complex. For one, we’ve been facing a workforce shortage for decades. Many baby boomers are retiring, leaving labs short-staffed and the remaining workers stretched thin. A CDC study from 2022 revealed that 46% of healthcare workers reported feeling burned out often or very often, compared to 32% in 2018. While COVID-19 amplified the problem, we in the lab industry know that burnout was a big issue long before the pandemic.

It’s Time to Act

I’m not one to just sit back and talk about problems. We’ve analyzed and debated this long enough. It’s time to get to work. Here are some ideas I think can make a real difference:

1. Build Better Leaders: We need leaders who understand the challenges we face and know how to delegate tasks effectively. Leadership training should be a priority.

2. Track Burnout: Let’s create systems to measure emotional and physical exhaustion and give employees safe spaces to address their struggles.

3. Make Workplaces Healthier: Natural light, better-designed labs, and fostering connections with other departments can go a long way in creating a positive work environment.

4. Bridge the Knowledge Gap: We should develop programs that connect retiring lab veterans with the next generation. This knowledge transfer is crucial for our industry’s growth.

5. Invest in Education: We need more laboratory teaching institutions worldwide. The pandemic reminded everyone how vital laboratorians are—let’s not let that lesson fade.

   
   

A Vision for the Future

When I founded Labademic, the name came from my vision of a “Laboratory Academy”—a place for learning, growth, and innovation in our field. This is our moment to think big, collaborate across industries, and create sustainable solutions. The pandemic may have exposed our vulnerabilities, but it also highlighted our strength and importance. Let’s build on that.

To my fellow laboratorians and healthcare professionals, let’s make this year one of action, resilience, and progress. Together, we can transform our industry and ensure a brighter future for everyone.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year filled with growth, purpose, and renewed energy.