Bolstering wellbeing and mitigating burnout in critical care: a mixed-methods exploration

The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented demands on critical care clinicians, exacerbating preexisting burnout concerns. Burnout affects clinicians, their patients, and the broader health care system, with evidence suggesting differential impacts across disciplines. In this study, we sought to examine burnout dimensions among critical care clinicians in Alberta, Canada and explore factors that supported their wellbeing or prevented burnout.

We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods study design, collecting qualitative and quantitative data within the same survey. The survey, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Health Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS MP), the Short Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) questionnaire, and two open-ended questions, was completed by 243 clinicians (43% aged 18-34 yr; 81% female). We evaluated differences across professional groups on the MBI-HSS MP and Short ProQOL subscales, and analyzed open-ended responses with content analysis.

Burnout symptoms varied across professional groups, with an overall sample prevalence of 40%. There were no significant differences in scores between registered nurses and respiratory therapists. Across professions, exercise, hobbies, family, nature, and friends were identified as key protective factors against burnout outside the critical care workplace. Key factors in mitigating burnout within the workplace across professions were support from colleagues, schedule flexibility, supportive leadership, and work environment.

Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing organizational and system-level factors that influence clinician wellbeing in sustainable and comprehensive approaches to mitigating burnout.