[Burnout syndrome in different intensive care units]

Area of Science:

• Medical Sciences
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Professional burnout syndrome is a significant concern in high-stress environments like Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
• Understanding the prevalence and contributing factors of burnout is crucial for healthcare personnel well-being and patient care quality.
• Previous studies have indicated varying rates of burnout across different healthcare settings and professions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of professional burnout syndrome among healthcare personnel in various ICUs.
• To investigate the association between burnout dimensions and sociodemographic-laboral variables.
• To compare burnout dimensions, personnel characteristics, and patient factors across different ICUs.

Main Methods:

• An analytic, comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital's ICUs.
• The Maslach Burnout Inventory and sociodemographic-laboral variables were used for data collection from 289 professionals.
• Patient care intensity (TISS, NEMS), mortality, and length of stay were evaluated using statistical analyses including chi-squared, Fischer, Kruskal-Wallis, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• A 14% prevalence of burnout was observed, with nurses being the most affected group (16%).
• Burnout was significantly associated with low professional satisfaction, poor colleague relationships, and reduced work recognition (p < 0.05).
• A polyvalent ICU reported higher burnout rates (17%), emotional exhaustion (49%), depersonalization (63%), and lower professional performance (44%), alongside greater patient acuity indicators (TISS, NEMS, mortality, stay).

Conclusions:

• The study identified a 14% prevalence of burnout in the sampled ICU healthcare personnel, with nursing staff most impacted.
• Elevated depersonalization and moderate emotional exhaustion and professional performance levels were noted.
• Factors associated with burnout included job dissatisfaction, interpersonal issues, lack of recognition, and increased emotional exhaustion in experienced staff. Higher patient acuity correlated with increased burnout prevalence in ICUs.