Burnout Syndrome in Intensive Care Unit Workers in a City in Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Studies point out that intensive care workers can suffer from chronic stress and dissatisfaction with their work, which can favor the development of Burnout Syndrome.

Goal: To estimate the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and describe the characteristics of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) workers.

Methodology: A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out on a population of 177 ICU workers - 52 doctors, 65 nurses and 60 physiotherapists - in the city of Feira de Santana, Bahia. A self-administered survey assessed sociodemographic data, work characteristics, lifestyle habits and Burnout Syndrome using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

Results: The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome was 47.9%, 45.3% among doctors, 55.6% among nurses and 33.3% among physiotherapists. Emotional exhaustion was the dimension most affected in the three categories studied. Males predominated among doctors and females among nurses and physiotherapists. Almost half of the workers studied were young, aged 34 or under, with little time in the profession. The majority had a partner, but no children. In terms of work characteristics, all three categories had high weekly working hours, high weekly on-call hours and night shifts in the ICU. Most of the workers studied reported practicing physical activity, drinking alcohol and not smoking.

Final Considerations: There was a high prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and a high workload among the categories studied. It is necessary to reflect on the measures that can be adopted to reduce the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among Intensive Care Unit workers.