Burnout, a "Ghost" who did not Appear in a Public Health Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Specilized Institute “Hospital El Salvador”, El Salvador

*Corresponding author: Luis Alberto Camputaro, MD, PhD(c), MBA, MSc, FCCM, FAHA, Specilized Institute “Hospital El Salvador.” Is Av de la Revolución 222, San Salvador, El Salvador, Phone: +503 7528-8026, E-mail: [email protected].

Received Date: October 31, 2024

Published Date: December 03, 2024

Citation: Camputaro LA. (2024). Burnout, a "Ghost" who did not Appear in a Public Health Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mathews J Neurol. 8(1):28.

Copyrights: Camputaro LA. © (2024).

ABSTRACT

Burnout syndrome is a workplace-related emotional disorder that significantly impacts healthcare workers, especially during extraordinary circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluates the prevalence and severity of burnout among staff at El Salvador Hospital, a facility established for COVID-19 care. During the pandemic's critical period in 2021, a voluntary electronic survey was conducted among 1,855 staff members, achieving a 46.14% response rate (856 participants). Data was analyzed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), revealing the following results: Emotional Exhaustion (High: 26%, Medium: 19%, Low: 55%), Depersonalization (High: 17%, Medium: 22%, Low: 61%), and Personal Achievement (High: 72%, Medium: 17%, Low: 11%). Despite the challenging conditions, no global burnout impact was observed, potentially due to effective teamwork, intense work integration, and collective fulfillment derived from addressing the pandemic. This study underscores the importance of supportive work environments and emphasizes strategies to mitigate burnout in healthcare settings.

Keywords: Burnout Syndrome, Healthcare Workers, COVID-19 Pandemic, Emotional Exhaustion, Occupational Stress.

INTRODUCTION

Occupational burnout syndrome is an emotional disorder linked to the workplace and the employee's lifestyle. Several publications report the impact of burnout on health personnel [1], including a meta-analysis [2] that warns about the risks of health personnel developing Burnout in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic [3], associating, among other extraordinary causes, work overload apart from social isolation.

El Salvador Hospital, equipped with a total of 1,000 beds for the care of COVID patients; I count during the most complex period of the pandemic (2021) with an 1,855 staff (Doctors, Graduates in Nursing, Technicians, and support services personnel), made up of personnel who a short time after graduating from their respective careers had to quickly migrate to the new facilities and create their own work culture. Completing the year of service, more than 9,000 patients have passed through its facilities. We carried out a Burnout survey.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To ensure the well-being of our staff beyond aspects related to biosecurity, we conducted a voluntary survey in the 40 areas of the hospital between May 24 and June 24, 2021, to find out about the work environment. The link to answer Maslach's questionnaire on burnout syndrome was sent anonymously via text message.

RESULTS

Nine hundred seventy-four responses were obtained, of which 856 were processed with complete data, corresponding to 46.14% of the Hospital staff (856/1855).

According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) [4] stratification, they manifested Emotional Exhaustion at High: 26%, Medium 19%, and Low: 55%. Depersonalization: High: 17%, Medium: 22%, Low: 61%. Personal Achievement: High: 72%, Medium: 17%, Low: 11% (Tables 1,2&3).

Table 1. Categorized by sex

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

There are various interpretations of job stress and burnout (also known as burnout at work), but despite their possible similarities, they are not identical.

While work stress can be related to various reasons or causes, some of which may or may not be linked to daily life, definitions of burnout are linked explicitly to professional activity and can be considered a form of stress in the workplace labor sphere [5] (Table 4).

Table 4. Stress vs Burnout

It would be surprising that the Hospital staff was more subject to work stress related to a new infectious pathology with characteristics of a Pandemic, the first of the 21st cycle after more than a century of the last one (Spanish Fever 1918-1920).

Perhaps there is a need for teamwork, intense work coexistence, and the empowerment of all staff, regardless of their function, to “protect” hospital staff so they can feel fulfilled with a globally challenging task.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The Author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

REFERENCES

1. Silva-Gomes RN, Silva-Gomes BT. (2021). Pandemia de la COVID-19: síndrome de Burnout en profesionales sanitarios que trabajan en hospitales de campaña en Brasil. Enfermería Clínica. 31:126-131.
2. Salazar de Pablo G, Vaquerizo-Serrano J, Catalana A, Arango C, Moreno C, Ferre F, et al. (2020). Impact of coronavirus syndromes on physical and mental health of health care workers: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 275:48-57.
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