Masters Degrees (Anaesthesiology)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Anaesthesiology) by Subject "Anaesthesiologist"

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    The prevalence of burnout among anaesthesiology registrars in the University of the Free State
    (University of the Free State, 2020-01) Adeleke, Durotolu Motunrayo; Lamacraft, Gillian
    Introduction: In January 2019 the leading health care organizations in the United States declared burnout as a “public health crisis” with an alarming figure of 78% among the nation’s physicians. Burnout is an “individual experience that is specific to the work context” which is associated with poor outcomes in job performance and health. Studies have revealed burnout ranging from 18-84% during postgraduate medical education (residency). The aim of the study was to quantify the prevalence of burnout among anaesthesiology registrars and to identify protective and aggravating factors. Method: A descriptive, prospective cross-sectional study was done in November 2018 among 23 anaesthesiology registrars using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is the instrument that has been validated globally to assess the dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. A self-developed questionnaire that assessed demographics, factors that contributed to and protected from burnout was also administered. Results: A prevalence of 17.4% of burnout was found with an equal distribution between males and females. The analysis of the data showed that all the participants who reported burnout were married. Difficulty in maintaining a balance between work, family and a social life was the greatest factor for reconsidering anaesthesia as a career. This was exacerbated by not having fixed working hours. The protective factors identified were: spending time with loved ones, praying, taking a break or spending time in solitude and exercise. About half (47.8 %) of the participants reported themselves as being prone to errors particularly when sleep deprived. Conclusion: The registrars in the department of anaesthesiology showed less burnout in comparison with counterparts in anaesthesiology residency training programmes within South Africa and internationally. This reinforces the findings in other studies that physicians in small urban settings show less burnout when compared with national averages. The protective factors identified in Bloemfontein can be further adopted as preventive action to further improve the wellbeing of the registrar vis-à-vis patient outcomes.