National Evaluation of Emergency Medical Services Clinician Burnout and Workforce-Reducing Factors

Limited recent national data exist measuring burnout levels among emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians and the potential impact of burnout on workforce strength and stability. We aimed to measure current EMS burnout and its association with workforce-reducing factors.

In April 2022, a random sample of nationally certified EMS clinicians was sent a survey that included the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) to assess for burnout in 3 dimensions: personal, work-related, and patient-related. Descriptive statistics (count and percentage) and multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio [OR] and 95% CI) were used to identify and measure each domain of burnout and the relationship between these domains and workforce-reducing factors.

From 1838 survey responses (9% response rate), prevalence of EMS burnout was high in the personal (52%), work-related (49%), and patient-related (23%) domains. Burnout was higher for paramedics than for emergency medical technicians across all domains. Higher odds of reporting 10 or more sick days was observed for those with personal (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.70-4.15), work-related (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.31-3.01), or patient-related burnout (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.20-2.86). Higher odds of reporting likelihood to leave the EMS profession was observed for those with personal (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.16-4.33), work-related (OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 2.35-4.74), or patient-related burnout (OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 2.39-4.90).

Nationally certified EMS clinicians demonstrated high burnout in 2022. Combined with increased absenteeism and intent to leave the profession associated with these high levels of burnout, these findings suggest that a renewed and deliberate focus on EMS clinician well-being is needed to ensure job satisfaction and workforce stability.