Health Care Provider Burnout Research Articles

Perspectives on strained intensive care unit capacity: A survey of critical care professionals.

BackgroundStrained intensive care unit (ICU) capacity represents a supply-demand mismatch in ICU care. Limited data have explored health care worker (HCW) perceptions of strain.MethodsCross-sectional survey of HCW across 16 Alberta ICUs. A web-based questionnaire captured data on demographics, strain definition, and sources, impact and strategies for management.Results658 HCW responded (33%; 95%CI, 32–36%), of which 452 were nurses (69%), 128 allied health (19%), 45 physicians (7%) and 33 administrators (5%). Participants (agreed/strongly agreed: 94%) reported that strain was best defined as “a time-varying imbalance between the supply of available beds, staff and/or resources and the demand to provide high-quality care for patients who may become or who are critically ill”; while some recommended defining “high-quality care”, integrating “safety”, and families in the definition. Participants reported significant contributors to strain were: “inability to discharge ICU patients due to lack of available ward beds” (97%); “increases in the volume” (89%); and “acuity and complexity of patients requiring ICU support” (88%). Strain was perceived to “increase stress levels in health care providers” (98%); and “burnout in health care providers” (96%). The highest ranked strategies were: “have more consistent and better goals-of-care conversations with patients/families outside of ICU” (95%); and “increase non-acute care beds” (92%).InterpretationStrain is perceived as common. HCW believe precipitants represent a mix of patient-related and operational factors. Strain is thought to have negative implications for quality of care, HCW well-being and workplace environment. Most indicated strategies “outside” of ICU settings were priorities for managing strain.

A cross-sectional pilot study of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in pediatric palliative care providers in the United States.

Compassion fatigue (CF) is secondary traumatic distress experienced by providers from contact with patients' suffering. Burnout (BO) is job-related distress resulting from uncontrollable workplace factors that manifest in career dissatisfaction. Compassion satisfaction (CS) is emotional fulfillment derived from caring for others. The literature on BO in healthcare providers is extensive, whereas CF and CS have not been comprehensively studied. Because of ongoing exposure to patient and family distress, pediatric palliative care (PPC) providers may be at particular risk for CF. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study of CF, BO, and CS among PPC providers across the United States. The Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction Self-Test for Helpers and a questionnaire of professional and personal characteristics were distributed electronically and anonymously to PPC physicians and nurses. Logistic and linear regression models for CF, BO, and CS as a function of potential risk factors were constructed. The survey response rate was 39%, primarily consisting of female, Caucasian providers. The prevalence of CF, BO, and CS was 18%, 12%, and 25%, respectively. Distress about a "clinical situation," physical exhaustion, and personal loss were identified as significant determinants of CF. Distress about "coworkers," emotional depletion, social isolation, and "recent involvement in a clinical situation in which life-prolonging activities were not introduced" were significant determinants of BO. Physical exhaustion, personal history of trauma, "recent involvement in a clinical situation in which life-prolonging activities were not introduced," and not discussing distressing issues were significant predictors of lower CS scores.Significance of resultsCF and BO directly influence the well-being and professional performance of PPC providers. To provide effective compassionate care to patients, PPC providers must be attentive to predictors of these phenomena. Further work is needed to explore additional causes of CF, BO, and CS in PPC providers as well as potential interventions.

Effects of a Technology-Assisted Meditation Program on Healthcare Providers’ Interoceptive Awareness, Compassion Fatigue, and Burnout

Research suggests that meditation can relieve stress, cultivate self-regulation skills, improve ability to focus, and modify risk for compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout in healthcare providers. However, studied interventions are time-consuming and combining disparate approaches, resulting in unclear mechanisms of effect. This pilot study examined a novel 6-week technology-assisted meditation program, coherently grounded in the system of yoga therapy that required minimal time. Five 10- to 12-minute meditations were offered via smartphone apps supported by biweekly e-mails. Hospice and palliative professionals at a Midwestern US healthcare network participated in the program (n = 36). Each meditation integrated attention, synchronized breath, gentle movements and a meditation focus. Weekly e-mails introduced a new meditation and reminded participants how and why to practice. The participants used the meditations a mean of 17.18(SD, 8.69) times. Paired t tests found significant presurvey to postsurvey improvements for CF/burnout (P < .05) and interoceptive awareness (P < .001). Participation significantly heightened perceived ability and propensity to direct attention to bodily sensations, increased awareness of physical sensations’ connections to emotions, and increased active body listening. The technology-assisted yoga therapy meditation program successfully motivated providers to meditate. The program required minimal time yet seemed to reduce CF/burnout and improve emotional awareness and self-regulation by heightening attention to present-moment bodily sensations.

The Relationship Between Professional Burnout and Quality and Safety in Healthcare: A Meta-Analysis.

Healthcare provider burnout is considered a factor in quality of care, yet little is known about the consistency and magnitude of this relationship. This meta-analysis examined relationships between provider burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) and the quality (perceived quality, patient satisfaction) and safety of healthcare. Publications were identified through targeted literature searches in Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses through March of 2015. Two coders extracted data to calculate effect sizes and potential moderators. We calculated Pearson's r for all independent relationships between burnout and quality measures, using a random effects model. Data were assessed for potential impact of study rigor, outliers, and publication bias. Eighty-two studies including 210,669 healthcare providers were included. Statistically significant negative relationships emerged between burnout and quality (r = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.29, -0.23]) and safety (r = -0.23, 95% CI [-0.28, -0.17]). In both cases, the negative relationship implied that greater burnout among healthcare providers was associated with poorer-quality healthcare and reduced safety for patients. Moderators for the quality relationship included dimension of burnout, unit of analysis, and quality data source. Moderators for the relationship between burnout and safety were safety indicator type, population, and country. Rigor of the study was not a significant moderator. This is the first study to systematically, quantitatively analyze the links between healthcare provider burnout and healthcare quality and safety across disciplines. Provider burnout shows consistent negative relationships with perceived quality (including patient satisfaction), quality indicators, and perceptions of safety. Though the effects are small to medium, the findings highlight the importance of effective burnout interventions for healthcare providers. Moderator analyses suggest contextual factors to consider for future study.

The Impact of Combat Deployment on Health Care Provider Burnout in a Military Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Professional Quality of Life Scale V Survey Study.

Compassion fatigue is a problem for many health care providers manifesting as physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion. Our objective was to evaluate the association between prior combat deployment and compassion fatigue among military emergency medicine providers. We conducted a nonexperimental cross-sectional survey of health care providers assigned to the San Antonio Military Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine. We used the Professional Quality of Life Scale V survey instrument that evaluates provider burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Outcomes included burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction raw scores. Scores were compared between providers based on previous combat deployments using two-tailed independent sample t tests and multiple regression models. Surveys were completed by 105 respondents: 42 nurses (20 previously deployed), 30 technicians (11 previously deployed), and 33 physicians (16 previously deployed). No statistically significant differences in burnout, secondary traumatic stress, or compassion satisfaction scores were detected between previously deployed providers versus providers not previously deployed. There was no association between previous combat deployment and emergency department provider burnout, secondary traumatic stress, or compassion satisfaction scores.

Health Care Provider Burnout in a United States Military Medical Center During a Period of War.

Provider burnout can impact efficiency, empathy, and medical errors. Our study examines burnout in a military medical center during a period of war. A survey including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), deployment history, and work variables was distributed to health care providers. MBI subscale means were calculated and associations between variables were analyzed. Approximately 60% of 523 respondents were active duty and 34% had deployed. MBI subscale means were 19.99 emotional exhaustion, 4.84 depersonalization, and 40.56 personal accomplishment. Frustration over administrative support was associated with high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; frustration over life/work balance was associated with high emotional exhaustion. Levels of burnout in our sample were similar to civilian medical centers. Sources of frustration were related to administrative support and life/work balance. Deployment had no effect on burnout levels.

Compassion Fatigue Resiliency Training: The Experience of Facilitators

This qualitative evaluation examined compassion fatigue facilitators' perceptions of the effects of a compassion fatigue resiliency training program in an urban medical center in the midwestern United States. Nine months after completing a compassion fatigue resiliency facilitator training program, 15 participants wrote short narratives describing how the program affected them. Participants described how the training program benefited them both personally and professionally. Two main themes were identified from the narrative analysis: self-improvement and application of resiliency. All of the participants described one or more self-improvements as a result of the program, particularly in regard to emotional health. All of the participants also described how they regularly applied one or more of the resiliency skills taught in the class to improve their ability to manage stress and prevent compassion fatigue. This program shows promise in ameliorating compassion fatigue and burnout in health care providers.

Dignity in Care: Time to Take Action

Providing care for patients and caring about patients should go hand in hand. Caring implicates our fundamental attitude towards patients, and our ability to convey kindness, compassion and respect. Yet all too often, patients and families experience health care as impersonal, mechanical; and quickly discover that patienthood trumps personhood. The consequences of a medical system organized around care rather than caring are considerable. Despite technical competence, patients and families are less satisfied with medical encounters when caring is lacking. Lack of empathy and emotional disengagement from patients typifies health care provider burnout. Caring is the gateway to disclosure; without it, patients are less likely to say what is bothering them, leading to missed diagnoses, medical errors and compromised patient safety. There are also liability issues, with most complaints levied against health care professionals stemming from failures in care tenor. Formal education for health care providers lacks a continued focus on achieving a culture of caring. If caring really matters, health care systems can insist on certain behaviors and impose certain obligations on health care providers to improve care tenor, empathy, and effective communication. Caregivers need to be engaged in looking at their own attitudes towards patients, their own vulnerability, their own fears and whatever else it is that shapes their tone of care. Health care professionals must set aside some time, supported by their institutions, to advance a culture of caring—now is the time to take action.

Emotional exhaustion and medication administration work-arounds

Burnout is very common and has significant negative outcomes for both nurses and patients. However, this literature has only recently begun to address the processes that explain why health care provider burnout leads to negative patient outcomes. This article extends that literature by examining how satisfaction with work processes impacts the link between nurse burnout and work-arounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between emotional exhaustion and potentially unsafe work practices (work-arounds) in the context of nursing administration of medication. The data were collected using online survey software and pencil-and-paper surveys returned directly to the researchers. The study was conducted among nurses in 2 acute care hospitals in the Midwestern United States. For one of the samples, data on work-arounds were provided by the nurses' supervisors. For the other sample, data were collected at a 6-month interval. The survey included measures of emotional exhaustion (the Maslach Burnout Inventory), work-arounds, and nurse satisfaction with medication administration processes. We found that exhaustion was associated with greater use of work-arounds of medication administration processes. We also found that when nurses were more satisfied with the medication administration process, exhausted nurses were less likely to engage in work-arounds. The findings suggest that although exhaustion in nurses can lead to potentially unsafe practices, satisfaction with the work process can either exacerbate or reduce the problem.

Linking physician burnout and patient outcomes

Although patient outcomes of hospital stays have been widely explored, particularly patient satisfaction, there is a dearth of research linking health care provider burnout and patient outcomes at a dyadic level. In this article, we develop and test a model to explain the relationship between dimensions of burnout and patient outcomes, including patient satisfaction and recovery time. The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between physician burnout and patient satisfaction and the time required to regain normal functioning after hospital discharge. This study was based upon a survey of 178 matched pairs of patients and physicians. The patients were people who had been hospitalized within the previous year. We found support for the notion that the depersonalization dimension of physician burnout was associated with patient outcomes of lower satisfaction and longer post discharge recovery time (after controlling for severity of illness and other demographic factors). The findings suggest that physician burnout has an impact on patient outcomes. Although this is a preliminary study, it suggests that organizations that take proactive steps to reduce burnout through system wide intervention programs will see greater benefits in terms of patient satisfaction and recovery.

A study on burnout syndrome in healthcare providers to people living with HIV

Dedicating physical and psychological care to other people is a tiring activity, not only because of the responsibility but also, more importantly, because of the emotional aspects involved in this relationship, which lead to stress and, if this stress continues, to burnout syndrome. Some authors report that the demands of caring for HIV-positive people are greater than those for other types of patients, increasing the chances of burnout. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of burnout in healthcare providers of HIV-positive patients in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Through the use of a questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), 87 people were evaluated. The averages for the MBI were 19.07 for emotional exhaustion (EE), 4.18 for depersonalisation (DE) and 39.60 for personal accomplishment (PA). There were 26.4% of people with high scores on EE, 17.2% presenting elevated DE and 10.5% showing diminished PA in their work. It was observed that the majority of the carers were in this occupation for a short period of time (74.7% for less than five years), while 42.5% spent up to 20 hours per week in the activity. Among the healthcare providers, 63.2% were volunteers. The variables ‘sex’ and ‘working time’ have showed themselves as significant predictors for DE as well as ‘age’ for PA. Taking these characteristics into account, it can be seen that it is necessary to give some special attention to this group of workers, in order to enable them to access preventive and/or interventional measures.

Burnout in health care providers of dialysis service in Northern Italy a multicentre study

Few data are available regarding the prevalence of burnout among dialysis health care workers. Aims of the present study were to assess and compare burnout levels in a sample of nurses and physicians working in dialysis units, and to investigate their relationships with quality of life, in a cross-sectional observational study. A total of 344 workers from 10 dialysis centres in Northern Italy completed a battery of questionnaires including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the MOS-36 Item Short Form Health Survey [SF36: physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component scores] and the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ30). Data on social and demographic characteristics and working conditions were also collected. General Estimating Equations models were used for the analysis. Overall, burnout scores were lower than the Italian normative sample, with no significant differences between physicians and nurses. However, 30% of nurses had high emotional exhaustion vs 18% of physicians (adjusted OR 2.38, P = 0.003). Emotional exhaustion was also predicted by number of worked hours and months worked in dialysis in the previous 2 years. Depersonalisation was predicted by male gender and bad relationship with coworkers. Having no children and having a permanent hospital position predicted low personal accomplishment. PCS was lower in nurses (50.0 vs 53.3, P < 0.001), while no significant difference was found for MCS and GHQ30. Lower PCS was associated with emotional exhaustion (P = 0.007) and GHQ30 > 5 with depersonalization (P = 0.032). Although burnout is not a general problem in dialysis health care providers, a subgroup of them may be identified, who would benefit from supportive measures to prevent this condition. Nurses appeared more burned-out in the emotional exhaustion scale than physicians.