What health systems can do to alleviate administrative burnout
While it’s crucial to recognize that problems with administrative burnout exist, it’s time for leaders to ask how best to respond.
Burnout doesn’t begin at the bedside, nor does it end there. As explored in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, administrative staff in healthcare systems — those managing data, finances, compliance and operations — are under mounting pressure.
While survey data may understate their strain, in-depth interviews have illuminated a different reality, which is that administrative burnout is real, rising and too often overlooked.
But recognition alone is insufficient. Leaders must now ask how to respond.
In this final article, we explore the protective factors — both individual and institutional — that help administrative professionals navigate stress, reclaim boundaries and remain engaged in their roles. From peer-based resilience strategies to leadership-driven reforms, this is a blueprint for restoring balance in healthcare’s invisible engine room.
Grounding in what matters most
Administrative professionals don’t always have the option of reducing workloads. But many have cultivated daily practices that provide structure, clarity and connection in the face of ongoing stress.
In our study, participants described a variety of personal approaches to mitigating burnout.
Intentional time boundaries. One quality coordinator stated that they stopped working at a certain time each day to be with family. This wasn’t just a lifestyle choice; it was a survival strategy.
Physical movement. A director of quality ran every morning before work. Others walked with friends or exercised to reset after high-stress days.
Mindfulness and faith-based practices. Several interviewees used prayer, meditation or yoga as grounding routines. These practices helped them create mental space to manage difficult tasks and interactions.
What’s important to note is that these strategies were self-initiated, not prescribed. They speak to the intrinsic resourcefulness of administrative professionals. Yet, they also reveal a challenge; without organizational support, even the most resilient individuals will reach a breaking point.
Where leadership can move the needle
If personal resilience forms the first layer of protection, organizational design must be the second. Many of the administrative staff we spoke with were clear: small, structural interventions from leadership can yield outsized improvements in morale and mental well-being.
1. Normalize time off and restoration
In one standout example, a hospital department piloted “Vacation Fridays,” encouraging staff to regularly take Fridays off. The result wasn’t lost productivity, but rather it restored bandwidth and deepened loyalty.
In another organization, a manager structured weekly meetings so employees could plan and protect undisturbed time away from their screens.
One participant shared that knowing that their leaders valued that they took time off made them feel human again. Time off should not be earned by overwork. It should be designed into the cadence of administrative life.
2. Build cultures of recognition
Across interviews, comments about the value of recognition emerged repeatedly. Employees weren’t asking for extravagant bonuses or elaborate ceremonies; they simply wanted to know that their work mattered.
Whether it was a birthday shoutout, a team lunch or a public thank-you on a shared Slack channel, recognition fostered belonging and reduced the emotional weight of invisible labor.
An assistant manager shared that knowing others recognize their efforts is what helps them get through the week.
Leaders should institutionalize recognition. Not as a perk, but as a pillar of culture.
3. Rethink workload and staffing assumptions
Perhaps the most consistent feedback from interviewees was, “We need more people.”
In many administrative teams, attrition was never backfilled. Budgets were reduced, but expectations stayed the same. What began as a short-term adjustment hardened into a long-term expectation. The consequences were predictable: skipped breaks, late nights, and diminishing quality of work.
Health system executives must examine the assumptions underpinning staffing models. A “do-more-with-less” ethos, when left unchecked, corrodes morale and performance.
Even modest reinvestments in administrative capacity — hiring a second assistant, restoring a cut analyst role — can yield significant returns in productivity, accuracy and engagement.
A burnout mitigation framework
Based on findings from this study and the broader literature, here's a framework for supporting administrative health system staff.
Time and boundaries. Encourage periodic paid time off and limit meetings beyond business hours.
Recognition and belonging. Create team-based recognition systems and include administrative staff in organization celebrations.
Workload realignment. Audit “job creep” and reassign non-essential tasks; adjust ratios.
Mental health resources. Provide access to coaching, therapy stipends and quiet recovery spaces.
Transparency in change. Communicate clearly during organizational shifts, while explaining “why” and “what’s next.”
This framework is not exhaustive, nor is it prescriptive. But it can serve as a starting point for leaders who are ready to build more humane, sustainable organizations.
Listening is a leadership skill
What this research has consistently shown is that administrative burnout is often quiet. Unlike clinical staff, administrative teams aren’t always in triage mode. They may not call attention to their fatigue. But they feel it deeply. And when they leave, the consequences ripple through entire systems.
The good news is that solutions are within reach. But they require leaders to listen — not just to dashboards or quarterly metrics, but to conversations, to hallway comments and to quiet disengagement. Sometimes, they just want to be seen.
Burnout beyond the bedside is not a footnote. And as healthcare continues its transformation, supporting the health of our systems must begin with those who hold them together.
Teray Johnson, PhD, MS, MBA, FACHDM, is a director of healthcare analytics and operations. She drives organizational transformation by facilitating data-driven decisions.