Burnout among veterinary anaesthesia specialists: The impact of different areas of worklife (Part 2)

To identify worklife areas predictive of American and European Veterinary Anaesthesia Diplomate burnout.

Cross-sectional online anonymous, voluntary survey.

A total of 530 American and/or European Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia College (ACVAA and ECVAA) Diplomates were canvassed, 286 responded.

Self-administered electronic questionnaire, incorporating a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service for Medical Personnel (results reported in Part 1), and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS). The AWS uses 28 questions to evaluate six key worklife areas in an organization. Scores ≥ 3.0 indicate better alignment between the workplace and the respondent, scores < 3.0 indicate poor alignment. Data were analysed with descriptive statistical tests and univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses (p < 0.05).

The six AWS areas demonstrated a strong significant collective effect for the emotional exhaustion (EE) and personal accomplishment (PA) burnout domains (p < 0.001) and moderate for the depersonalization (DP) domain (p < 0.001). Workload and reward accounted for 36.6% and 17% of responders' EE scores, respectively, with EE increasing by 9.1 for each one-point rise in workload and decreasing by 7.4 for every one-point increase in feeling of reward. PA declined by 3.7 and 4.2 points, respectively, for every one-point reduction in perceived lack of fairness, and alignment with organizational values. The DP domain of burnout was influenced by the perceived lack of control, which was opposed by the sense of community, whereby for each one-point drop in level of control, DP increased by 3.0, while for each one-point gain in the sense of community, DP decreased by 3.5.

The drivers of burnout include modifiable workplace factors, many of which lend themselves to easy change. It is time for employers to consider instigating measures to reduce the risk of burnout in veterinary anaesthesia Diplomates.