Burnout Among Respiratory Therapists in a Tertiary Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Assessment of burnout among pharmacy faculty in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Burnout is a condition closely linked to deteriorating mental health and diminished work performance. There is a lack of research on burnout among pharmacy faculty in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study aims to assess the burnout rate among pharmacy faculty members in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to identify predictive factors that contribute to or precipitate the onset of burnout.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all pharmacy faculty members in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The survey included the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey, which measures three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Demographic data, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators scores, and potential predictors of burnout were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 246 pharmacists participated in this study. Among them, 30.4% reported experiencing emotional exhaustion, and a similar percentage scored low on the personal accomplishment subscale. Additionally, 10.9% of the sample exhibited high scores on the depersonalization subscale. The burnout rate was found to be influenced by several factors, including citizenship, the presence of children in the household, and faculty members' academic rank.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy faculty members at pharmacy colleges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are experiencing significant burnout, particularly in the form of emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment scores. Key factors contributing to burnout include citizenship, the presence of children in the household, and academic rank.

Burnout Among ICU and Non-ICU Healthcare Professionals in Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Analysis

Purpose

Burnout syndrome is a significant concern among healthcare workers, particularly in the high-stress environment of ICUs. This study evaluates and compares the levels of burnout among healthcare workers in the ICU and non-ICU settings and to assess the influence of sociodemographic characteristics.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using MBI questionnaire, which measures emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA).

Results

Among 844 participants (51.7% female), most were aged 25-34 (41.9%), single (46.7%), and worked in non-ICU settings (61.8%). They predominantly worked in governmental hospitals, with 1-4 years of experience (46.8%), managing 6-10 patients per shift (36.5%), and working 16-20 shifts monthly (75.8%). ICU staff reported significantly higher EE (21 [18] vs 11.5 [15], p ≤ 0.0001) and DP (17 [19] vs 8 [12], p ≤ 0.0001), and lower PA (35 [19] vs 42.5 [12], p ≤ 0.0001). Post-hoc analysis showed ICU workers were significantly more prone to moderate (Adj. Resid. = 3.57, p< 0.001) and severe EE (Adj. Resid. = 5.20, p < 0.001). In the DP domain, they were more likely to experience severe DP (Adj. Resid. = 9.22, p< 0.001). Severe burnout in PA was also more likely among ICU staff (Adj. Resid. =5.67, p< 0.001). Nurses and RTs reported higher EE and DP. Married ICU staff had lower EE (OR: 0.453) but higher DP (OR: 1.623). Factors like 6-8 years of experience, 8-hour shifts, and fewer monthly shifts were associated with reduced EE and higher PA, while additional jobs were linked to increased DP.

Conclusion

ICU healthcare workers experienced significant burnout compared to non-ICUs staff, with nurses and RTs being the most affected. Sociodemographic factors such as marital status, years of experience, shift duration, and holding additional jobs increased burnout risk. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions in high-stress environments like the ICU.

Association of burnout and working environment conditions in respiratory care professionals in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Introduction

Burnout is a pervasive issue in healthcare, and it impacts both the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and the quality of patient care. This study examines factors associated with burnout and working environment among respiratory therapists in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respiratory therapists. We collected 315 questionnaires including burnout assessment. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between various variables and the likelihood of experiencing severe burnout and personal achievement problems.

Results

Marital status was a significant predictor of severe burnout (p = 0.001), with single individuals having 8.2 times higher odds than married individuals. Working longer than 44 h per week was associated with a 19.3-fold increase in the odds of severe personal achievement issues compared to those working 40-44 h per week (p < 0.001). Age, gender, living arrangements, education, employment status, and salary level were not significant predictors of severe burnout or personal achievement issues.

Conclusion with discussion

The findings highlight that marital status and extended working hours are significantly associated with increased burnout among respiratory therapists in Saudi Arabia. These results underscore the importance of social support networks and work-life balance in mitigating burnout risks within this profession.

The prevalence of burnout among pulmonologists or respiratory therapists pre- and post-COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) increased the already heavy workload in the pulmonary and respiratory departments, which therefore possibly increased the prevalence of burnout among pulmonologists or respiratory therapists. We aimed to compare the differences in burnout among pulmonologists or respiratory therapists pre- and post-COVID-19 by doing a systematic review with meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched pulmonologist, or pulmonary, or respiratory, and burnout up to 29 January 2023 in six databases. We included studies investigating pulmonologists or respiratory therapists and reporting the prevalence of burnout among them. The risk of bias was assessed by a tool for prevalence studies. The overall prevalence of burnout was pooled.

RESULTS

A total of 2859 records were identified and 16 studies were included in the final analysis. The included studies reported 3610 responding individuals and 2336 burnouts. The pooled prevalence of burnout was 61.7% (95% confidence interval (CI), 48.6-73.2%; I² = 96.3%). The pooled prevalence of burnout during COVID-19 was significantly higher than it was prior to the outbreak (68.4% vs. 41.6%, p = .01). The result of the meta-regression revealed that COVID-19 coverage was significantly associated with the prevalence of burnout (p = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

Burnout was widely prevalent among pulmonologists or respiratory therapists and increasingly perceived during COVID-19. Therefore, interventions were needed to reduce burnout in this specialty.KEY MESSASGESThe coronavirus disease-19 increased the already heavy workload in the pulmonary and respiratory departments.Burnout was widely prevalent among pulmonologists or respiratory therapists and increasingly perceived during COVID-19.

Enhancing Respiratory Therapists' Well-Being: Battling Burnout in Respiratory Care

Burnout is a major problem in health care and is associated with adverse sequelae for patients, health care workers, and organizations. Burnout among respiratory therapists (RTs) is as high as 79% and is associated with poor or ineffective leadership, inadequate staffing, high work load, non-leadership position, and work environment. An understanding of burnout is necessary for both staff and leadership to ensure RT well-being. This narrative review will discuss the psychology of burnout, prevalence, drivers, mitigation strategies, and future directions for research.

Burnout, Resilience, Supervisory Support, and Quitting Intention among Healthcare Professionals in Saudi Arabia: A National Cross-Sectional Survey

Although personal resilience and supervisory support are known to reduce the impact of burnout and quitting intention, there is limited data available to explore these relationships among healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout and explore its association with resilience, supervisory support, and intention to quit among Saudi Arabian HCPs.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was distributed to a convenience sample of HCPs between April and November 2022. Participants responded to socio-demographic questions, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS (MP)), the Connor-Davidson resilience scale 10 (CD-RISC 10), and the Perceived of Supervisor Support Scale (PSS). Descriptive, inferential, correlation, and logistic regression tests were performed for data analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 1174 HCPs included in the analysis, 77% were presented with high burnout levels: 58% with emotional exhaustion (EE), 72% with depersonalization (DP), and 66% with low personal accomplishment (PA). Females were associated with increased odds of burnout (OR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.04-2.06) compared to males. Burnout and its subscales were associated with higher intention to leave practice, with 33% of HCPs considering quitting their jobs. Furthermore, HCPs reported a low resilience score overall, and negative correlations were found between EE (r = -0.21; p < 0.001) and DP (r = -0.12; p < 0.01), and positive correlation with low PA (r = 0.38; p < 0.001). In addition, most HCPs perceived supervisory support as low, and it is associated with increased burnout and quitting intention.

CONCLUSION

Burnout is common among HCPs across all clinical settings and is associated with higher intention to quit and low resilience and supervisory support. Workplace management should provide a supportive workplace to reduce burnout symptoms and promote resiliency.

Burnout and Resilience among Respiratory Therapy (RT) Students during Clinical Training in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The epidemic of burnout has been widely documented among health discipline students. However, there is limited information available on the prevalence of burnout and its association with resilience among clinical-level respiratory therapy (RT) students.

METHODS

Between March 2022 and May 2022, a descriptive, cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of RT students and interns was conducted. A total of 559 RT students and interns from 15 RT programs responded to socio-demographic questions and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive, inferential, and correlation tests.

RESULTS

Of the 559 respondents, 78% reported a high level of burnout. Within the three subscales of burnout, 52% reported emotional exhaustion (EE), 59% reported depersonalization (DP), and 55% reported low personal achievement (PA). The prevalence of burnout increased as students proceeded to senior years (p = 0.006). In addition, participants with higher grade point averages (GPA) reported a higher level of burnout. Only 2% of the respondents reported a high level of resiliency. Further, there were negative correlations between resilience and EE (r = -41, p < 0.001) and DP (r = -32, p = 0.03), and a positive correlation with low PA (r = 0.56, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The findings showed a high prevalence of burnout among RT students and interns during clinical training in Saudi Arabia. Resilience was associated with all domains of burnout and is likely to play a protective role. Therefore, there is a need for collaborative interventions to promote resiliency during clinical training to alleviate and overcome burnout symptoms.