How I Rediscovered My Love of Medicine in the Midst of Burnout, with the Help of an Artificial Intel

Lauren Katz, FNP

Ifirst realized I was experiencing burnout when my patient experience scores dipped—a really unusual occurrence for me. It was during the pandemic and, like so many other healthcare workers around the world, my colleagues and I were under immense pressure. I was splitting my time between two roles, working in the frontline respiratory clinic as a family nurse practitioner, and supporting other clinicians as the Advanced Practice Clinician (APC) Chief of Primary Care at Reliant Medical Group.

In times of burnout, you’ll be in a consultation with one patient, but already thinking about the next one. You’re worrying about the stack of paperwork you have to sign, and the scripts you need to put through. You’re trying to balance being attentive at work with being attentive at home. For me, burnout even sometimes led to a panicked 2 a.m. awakening where I realized I hadn’t placed an order or submitted a referral.

Around two years ago, I couldn’t seem to shake these feelings. I didn’t want my burnout to negatively affect my patients, so I considered stepping away from my clinical role for a while as I looked for something that could reinvigorate my love of practicing.

During this time, I had the opportunity to try an artificial intelligence (AI) scribe in my patient-facing work. AI automatically documents the conversations you have with your patient using AI-powered voice recognition, creating a clinical note that you simply review and approve in the EHR.

Working with an AI Scribe allowed me to focus entirely on the patient; I could just sit and have a discussion, face to face, and only worry about looking at the computer when I needed to check test results, place orders, or review a previous note.

With this program, everything the patient says is recorded in his or her own words, which means there is no room for misinterpretation, and we are not relying on memory to get a fully detailed, accurate note into the system. This is so important for making sure patients get the right care, but also so they feel heard— especially now they can view their notes online.

At the end of the consultation, I make sure to reiterate the care plan, so it’s laid out specifically in the note. That way, the next step is always clear, which is especially useful when other practitioners are involved.

I know that when I leave that consultation room and have a full inbox of patient-related messages to catch up on, I can work through those in a timely manner. I can balance both my roles more effectively, ensuring I’m delivering projects my organization is relying on—without neglecting my patient documentation.

I’m sure all my fellow practitioners have experienced something like this: toward the end of a consultation about knee pain, the patient also asks questions about their existing medications, or unrelated chest pain. When I was burned out, adding an extra, unexpected factor to the cognitive burden could be really frustrating.

However, I realize there are so many reasons why patients do this. They might live a long way away, or have a deductible that limits the number of consultations they can afford, or maybe they don’t feel like their other concerns are worth another appointment. They have my attention for 20

minutes, and they want to get the most out of that small window. We’re there to give patients a safe space to talk through their worries, and my AI Scribe means I have the time to be present with them in what is often a vulnerable moment. It’s no surprise that my patient scores have risen again since I started using this tool.

Being present at home with your family and friends is so important, too. At the height of my burnout, excessive pajama time was making it hard to be as attentive as I wanted to be with my young family. Before my AI Scribe, tee-ball games, bath time, and family dinners used to be overshadowed by thoughts of the hours I’d need to spend completing documentation after my child went to bed. Now, if I ever need to log on in the evenings, it’s a matter of minutes as I approve a note.

I think we’d all agree that your home team comes first, but you’re also in the business of caring for people—and you need to care for yourself too. The AI Scribe is, I think, a piece of the puzzle that can really help clinicians achieve balance between all those different forces.

An AI Scribe helped me leave that fog of burnout and get myself back to a place where I’m happy and productive at work—and giving my patients the attention and support they deserve. In my role as APC chief of primary care, I’m now looking at opportunities for more of my colleagues to adopt this program, in the hope that it will help them alleviate their burnout too. +

Lauren Katz, FNP APC Chief of Primary Care at Reliant Medical Group Primary Care APC in Family Practice at Neponset St Lauren.katz@reliantmedicalgroup.org