Burnout

• Results from prolonged and excessive stress.

• Characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (treating patients as objects rather than people), and reduced professional efficacy.

• Increases risk of lapses in judgment and patient harm.

Fatigue

• Caused by sleep deprivation or inadequate rest.

• Leads to cognitive impairment, slower reaction times, and decreased attention to detail.

• Strongly associated with medication errors, documentation mistakes, and impaired clinical reasoning.

Learning Objective:
Recognize burnout and fatigue as major contributors to medical errors due to their impact on cognitive performance, decision-making, and patient safety.