Burnout in ICU doctors and nurses in mainland China-A national cross-sectional study

A national cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the severity of burnout and its associated factors among doctors and nurses in ICUs in mainland China.

This is a cross-sectional survey. A total of 2411 ICU doctors and nurses in mainland China were included. Demographic and psychological data were collected via questionnaire. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to evaluate burnout. Differences among regions and departments were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to determine the associated factors.

Among the participants, 1122 (46.54%) were doctors, and 1289 (53.46%) were nurses. A total of 800 doctors (71.3% of all doctors) and 881 nurses (68.3% of all nurses) were deemed to be burnout. People working in the general ICU were most likely to be burnout. Factors associated with burnout included having low frequency of exercise, having comorbidities, working in a high-quality hospital, having more years of work experience, having more night shifts and having fewer paid vacation days.

The burnout rate of ICU doctors and nurses in mainland China is 69.7%. Our study provides baseline data about burnout among Chinese medical staff predating COVID-19, which could help in the analysis and interpretation of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.