Texas Stroke Program Assessment: Infrastructure, Turnover, and Burnout Implications

Stroke coordinators spend much of their time in the emergency department; many of them are nurses working dual roles as current emergency nurses or trauma coordinators and stroke coordinators. How this hybrid role affects burnout is unknown. This study assessed the impact of this gap on stroke program managers and coordinators through the Texas Stroke Program Survey.

An electronic survey, with the validated Maslach Burnout Inventory--Human Services Survey instrument to evaluate work-related burnout, was distributed to 181 Texas-designated stroke facilities. They were asked to have 1 stroke coordinator or manager complete the survey anonymously.

Of the 105 approached, 103 responded, and 78 completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, of whom 83.5% (86 of 103) worked at primary or comprehensive stroke centers. Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey results showed that 74.4% of the population (58 of 78) exhibited burnout profiles, which were characterized by feelings of ineffectiveness, overextension, or burnout. Turnover among stroke coordinators was high, with 49.5% (51 of 103) reporting 2 or more turnovers over 5 years.

The survey results highlight significant variability in role definition and responsibilities among stroke coordinators. Nearly 91.3% of respondents (94 of 103) emphasized the need for standardizing program requirements and providing adequate support for staff development. Implementing a program like those used in trauma centers may reduce variability, enhance support, and mitigate burnout.