Burnout in healthcare isn't just about being tired. Dr. Nikia Smith Ep 159

Описание: Welcome back to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine podcast!

In this interview, Dr. Nakia Smith, a board-certified anesthesiologist, wellness coach, and retreat curator, shares how she experienced burnout twice and nearly left medicine after years of escalating exhaustion, irritability, emotional numbness, and short-staffed working conditions that culminated in a brutal near-20-hour call shift.

She describes how burnout builds over time, why recovery takes sustained effort, and how she began healing through self-education (including learning about compassion fatigue and self-compassion), reconnecting with activities that restore her, and making small, consistent changes like movement and prioritized hobbies.

Dr. Smith explains how inadequate administrative support and shifting workplace demands pushed her to leave a job that would not put agreed terms into a contract, leading her to seek roles with no call and later a part-time contract as a non-negotiable.

Now on her fourth attending role in Las Vegas, she works a contracted part-time schedule (eight days per month) to create space for entrepreneurship and community-building. She also discusses hosting annual four-day wellness retreats for physicians (expanding to other clinicians) that include CME and education on burnout recovery, moral injury, perfectionism, invisible labor/third shift, and boundary-setting, alongside rest and wellness activities, emphasizing community support and practical advocacy strategies. She encourages clinicians to talk to others, keep asking for what they need (including administrative time), and recognize shifting leverage amid provider shortages.

Connect with Dr. Nikia Smith:
🌐 Website https://sheisfireforged.com/
Instagram   / nikiasmithmd  

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Timestamps:
00:00 Meet Dr. Nakia Smith: Anesthesiologist, Wellness Coach & Burnout Survivor
00:46 Why Anesthesiology? From “I’ll Be a Doctor” to Finding Her OR Home
02:16 Burnout Boils Over: Short Staffing, “Dream Job” Hours & Wanting to Quit Medicine
05:37 Early Warning Signs: Exhaustion, Irritability, Numbness & Autopilot
07:26 When “Teamwork” Isn’t Enough: Colleagues, Admin Pressure & The Staffing Trap
10:03 After the 20-Hour Shift: Drawing a Line, Naming Burnout & Finding Resources
12:11 Recovery in Tiny Steps: Reclaiming Joy, Movement, and Atomic Habits
13:40 Advocating for Change: New Contract, Boundaries, and Leaving Without Terms in Writing
15:06 Setting a Non Negotiable: Leaving Call Behind
15:37 Why the System Won’t Change (and When It’s Safer to Leave)
16:23 Recovering From Burnout With Structure, Hobbies & Community
17:42 Leveling Up to Part Time: Negotiating the Contract You Want
19:09 From Personal Healing to Physician Wellness Retreats & Coaching
20:59 What Actually Happens on the 4 Day Retreat (Beyond Pampering)
24:34 Where to Start When You’re Drowning: Talk, Reconnect, Find Joy
27:02 Practical Boundary Scripts: Admin Time, Committees & Saying Yes Wisely
28:29 Staying in Medicine Differently: Role Changes + Contract Negotiation Basics
30:01 How to Reach Her + Final Takeaways on Power Shifts in Healthcare