Examining Burnout in Interprofessional Intensive Care Unit Clinicians Using Qualitative Analysis.

PSYCHOLOGICAL burnout; INTENSIVE care units; ACADEMIC medical centers; JOB stress; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL personnel; CONTINUING education units; INTERVIEWING; RISK assessment; QUALITATIVE research; HEALTH care teams; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; PSYCHOSOCIAL factors; THEMATIC analysis; DATA analysis software

Background: Health care professionals working in intensive care units report a high degree of burnout, but this topic has not been extensively studied from an interdisciplinary perspective. Objective: To characterize experiences of burnout among members of interprofessional intensive care unit teams and identify possible contributing factors. Methods: This qualitative study involved interviews of registered nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians, pharmacists, and a personal care assistant working in multiple intensive care units of a single academic medical center to assess work stressors. Results: Team composition was a factor in burnout, particularly when nonphysician team members felt that their opinions were not valued despite the institution's emphasis on a multidisciplinary team-based model of care. This was especially true when roles were not well defined at the outset of a code situation. Members of nearly all disciplines stated that there was not enough time in a day to complete all the required tasks. Conclusions: Multiple factors contribute to work-related stress and burnout across different professions in the intensive care unit. Improved communication and increased receptivity to diverse opinions among members of the multidisciplinary team may help reduce stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]