ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Burnout syndrome in the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/rjaic-2019-0005

Stelian Atila Balan¹, Şerban Ion Bubenek-Turconi², Gabriela Droc³, Elena Marinescu⁴, Elisabeta Nita¹, Mihaela Camelia Popa⁵, Dana Popescu-Spineni⁶, Dana Tomescu³

1 Intensive Care Unit, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest
2 Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest; Intensive Care Department, C.C. Iliescu Institute, Bucharest
3 Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest; Intensive Care Department, Fundeni Clinical Instutute, Bucharest
4 Intensive Care Unit, C.C. Iliescu Institute, Bucharest
5 Institute of Psychology and Philosophy “Constantin Radulescu Motru”, Bucharest
6 Carol Davila University of Medicine; “Francis I. Rainer” Anthropolgy Institute of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest

Abstract
Background and aims. This study aims to identify the extent to which Burnout syndrome is present among medical staff in the anaesthesia and intensive care units in Romania and if there are significant differences dependant on age or sex.
Methods. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), structured in three dimensions: Emotional Exhaustion – 9 items (EE), Depersonalization – 6 items (D) and Reduction of personal achievement – 10 items (RPA), was used for the evaluation of Burnout Syndrome in 275 medical staff in anaesthesia and intensive care physician and nurses from departments in Romania.
Results. Burnout syndrome among medical staff with MBI had a total score of 68 and average scores for all syndrome categories. There were no statistically significant differences dependant on age and sex (p < 0.05, chi-squared test). The logistic regression has highlighted three elements that are risk factors, which belonged to the psycho-emotional sphere, communication abilities and the degree of organization and professional planning (item – I feel at the end of my rope, item – I do not communicate easily with
people regardless of their social status and character, and item – I have professional disillusion). The risk factor with the most reliable range was the item “I feel at the end of my rope”.
Conclusion. The level of Burnout syndrome is medium regardless of sex or age category. Possibly, the concern of the ICU medical staff for the psycho-emotional life is not efficient, as well as for identifying/ developing communication abilities. The association between risk factors for burnout syndrome and psychoemotional life development require further research.
Keywords: burnout syndrome, intensive care, anaesthesiology, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal achievement, communication