TDNet Discover

Background: Workers in the healthcare field are known for being at high risk for developing burnout. The mental and physical effects of burnout can have detrimental effects on patient satisfaction and quality of care. The novel coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19, created additional stressors for members of this field through increased patient burden, equipment shortages, and decreased funding. The consequences of this pandemic undoubtedly had an impact on provider burnout, but there is a lack of studies measuring the level of burnout in American healthcare workers since the beginning of COVID-19. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to identify the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and the incidence of burnout in healthcare workers in the United States during this pandemic. Methods: The validated Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to survey a sample of American healthcare workers. This survey assesses levels of burnout in three categories: Personal Burnout, Work-Related Burnout, and Patient-Related Burnout. Additional demographic questions were added to include age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, current profession, state of employment, and type of facility of employment. The survey was distributed via email to various healthcare organizations and using a snowball sampling technique through social media. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests and logistic regression performed by an independent statistician. Qualitative analysis was used to compare the measured level of burnout to that of pre-COVID levels. Results: The typical respondent to this survey (n=40) was a young adult heterosexual white female who worked as a registered nurse in Tennessee and considered to be Protestant. Participants reported overall burnout in both Personal Burnout and Work-Related Burnout categories. They did not report overall burnout in the Patient-Related Burnout category. The v average participant score was 61.45, which indicated burnout, and 75% of this sample had a total score indicating burnout. This is a 33% increase of reported burnout measured in 2018. Statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) relationships were found between one burnout question and all the demographics except current profession. Race appeared to have the largest impact on perceived burnout while age, sexual orientation, and type of facility seem to play a role in deterring burnout.