Smart device use and burnout among health science educators

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Occupational Health
• Digital Well-being

Background:

• The increasing integration of smart devices into professional life blurs the lines between work and personal time.
• Health science educators face unique pressures contributing to potential stress and burnout.
• Understanding the impact of constant connectivity is vital for educator well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the perceived levels of stress and burnout among health science educators.
• To investigate the relationship between smart device use, workplace connectivity, and educator well-being.

Main Methods:

• An interdisciplinary research team conducted a literature review.
• A survey and assessment instrument were developed and administered to 977 health science educators.
• Participants represented athletic training, nursing, radiologic sciences, and respiratory care programs.

Main Results:

• Over 60% of participants reported feeling connected to work at all hours.
• 70% of smart device use occurred between 6 am and 6 pm, with 30% after 6 pm.
• Maslach Burnout Inventory scores indicated higher emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment than the norm.

Conclusions:

• A strong sense of workplace connectedness, driven by smart device use, was reported by 60.7% of participants.
• While some educators manage boundaries (55% sometimes ignore after-hours items), significant emotional exhaustion was observed.
• Failure to maintain healthy boundaries for work-related smart device use after hours is linked to emotional exhaustion.