Prevalence and associated factors of burnout risk among intensive care and emergency nurses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Belgium

Details

Supervisors

Smith, Pierre

Faculty

Faculté de santé publique

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de la santé publique, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Introduction: Burnout is a work-related phenomenon characterised by emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (PA). Nurses burnout has negative consequences for nurses themselves, but also for patients and the whole care system. Nurses working in intensive care units (ICU) and emergency department (ED) are at risk of burnout and the Covid-19 pandemic may have increased this risk. However, so far, few studies have compared the risk of burnout among ICU and ED nurses before and during the pandemic. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess (1) the prevalence of burnout risk among ICU and ED nurses before and during the pandemic and (2) the individual and work-related associated factors. Methods: Data were collected as part of a cross-sectional study on ICU and ED nurses in the French-speaking part of Belgium using two self-administered online questionnaires distributed just before the Covid-19 pandemic (January 2020, n = 422) and during the first peak of the pandemic (April 2020, n = 1616). Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale. We estimated the prevalence of risk of burnout before and during the pandemic and identified its determinants using multiple logistic regression models. Results: The overall prevalence of burnout risk was higher among ED nurses than ICU nurses, but was not significantly different following the Covid-19 pandemic (before = 69.8%, during = 70.7%, χ² = 0.15, p = 0.68), while it increased significantly among ICU nurses (before = 51.2%, during = 66.7%, χ² = 23.64, p = <0.01). During the Covid-19 pandemic, changes in workload and the lack of personal protective equipment were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of burnout risk, while social support from colleagues and hierarchy were associated with a lower likelihood of burnout risk. Several determinants of burnout risk were different between ICU and ED nurses. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that nurses in ICU and ED were at risk of burnout, but although they were both on the front lines during the Covid-19 pandemic, their experiences were very different. Consequently, it is important to put in place specific measures for these two groups of nurses in order to prevent and manage their risk of burnout.