Impact of emergency situations on resilience at work and burnout of Hospital's healthcare personnel

Abstract

Emergencies may enhance burnout and decrease resilience. The study investigated impact of an unexpected missile attack on hospital personnel's resilience at work (RaW), perceived ability to work and burnout before (N = 53) or after (N = 178) the attacks. Correlations between the three constructs, and pre-post emergency differences were investigated. Mean RaW increased post-emergency (pre-post scores: 63.5 vs 69 respectively; p = .004) while burnout (depersonalization) decreased (pre-post scores: 6.2 vs 4.1; p < .001). Post levels of perceived personal accomplishment and satisfaction were higher (13.9 and 9.8 respectively) compared to pre-emergency mean score (12.5 and 8.8 respectively; p < .05). RaW positively correlated with ability to work in emergencies (r = 0.56; p < .001), personal accomplishment (r = 0.58; p < .001) and satisfaction (r = 0.34; p < .001), and negatively correlated with depersonalization (r = −0.25; p < .001) and emotional exhaustion (r = −0.38; p < .001). Ability to work in emergencies positively correlated with personal accomplishment and negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion. Periodic disruptions, despite causing stress, may enhance RaW, as they provide an opportunity to evolve, improve personal and organizational function and empower personnel. Thus, risks may be navigated to enhance resilience of healthcare teams. Stressful situations may positively influence awareness, potential reactivity, flexibility to sudden changes and immediate responses to extreme situations. They motivate personnel and stimulate productive teamwork and commitments to the roles and responsibilities, resulting in higher levels of satisfaction and workplace’ identity. In contrast to previous assumptions, stress may serve as a trigger to increased strengths, enhanced cohesiveness and effective teamwork. Continued research is recommended to identify if similar effects are achieved through emergency training programs.