A Multicenter Study Assessing Burnout and Work Engagement in Student Pharmacists and Faculty Members

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Work engagement and burnout are critical factors affecting academic and professional well-being in higher education.
• Understanding these factors in pharmacy programs is essential for student and faculty support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize work engagement and burnout among students and faculty in two US pharmacy programs.
• To identify demographic factors associated with work engagement and burnout.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to pharmacy students and faculty, utilizing the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9 (UWES-9) and a single-item burnout measure.
• Demographic data were collected, and statistical analyses including point biserial correlation and regression were performed.

Main Results:

• Students (N=174) reported lower work engagement (mean=3.0) and higher burnout rates (58.6%) compared to faculty (N=35, mean=4.5, 40%).
• A significant negative correlation between work engagement and burnout was found in faculty (r=-0.35), but not in students (r=0.04).
• No significant demographic predictors for work engagement or burnout were identified in faculty; first-year students were less likely to report burnout.

Conclusions:

• Work engagement and burnout are inversely correlated in pharmacy faculty but not students.
• The findings highlight a disparity in the relationship between engagement and burnout across different academic roles in pharmacy education.
• Further large-scale studies are recommended to explore these relationships more deeply.