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'Burnout' among Dutch midwives
R H Bakker1, P P Groenewegen, L Jabaaij
1NIVEL (Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Objective:
to determine the effect of workload on 'burnout' having considered work capacity.
Design:
cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Dutch community midwives in independent practice.
Participants:
200 Dutch community midwives.
Measurements:
three-week diary recordings, a questionnaire on practice and personal characteristics, and a questionnaire on 'burnout', social support and coping style.
Findings:
differences in 'burnout' can be explained partly by the midwife's workload and partly by her work capacity. A high workload may lead to 'burnout' when a midwife is unable to handle stressful situations.
Key Conclusions:
when a higher percentage of the supervised births occurred at the client's own home instead of during a short-stay hospital visit, the chances of 'burnout' are lower.
Implications For Practice:
changes in the organisation of Dutch community midwifery care may contribute to the reduction of 'burnout'. 'Burnout' is a complex phenomenon influenced both by individual and organisational factors. When formulating policy to reduce 'burnout' among midwives specific work-related factors must be considered and emphasis be placed on the importance of personal resources.