Burnout on the frontline: the impact of COVID-19 on emergency department staff wellbeing

BACKGROUND: Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Healthcare professionals are particularly susceptible to this occupational phenomenon. There is limited literature currently published addressing burnout in the context of the Irish frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to determine the rate and degree of burnout present in the emergency department (ED) staff at St. James hospital Dublin (SJH) and at Cork University Hospital (CUH), in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample of medical staff and healthcare staff in the ED at Cork University Hospital and St. James Hospital Dublin, two major University Hospital EDs. Burnout was measured using the Oldenburg burnout inventory (OLBI) a standardised 16-question instrument. Participants also provided demographic data and answered several questions relating to the pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-nine participants across two departments responded (a response rate of 30%). All ED cohorts were represented. RESULTS: Burnout was identified in almost three quarters of respondents (74%). The mean burnout scores were 2.42 (OLBI cut-off 2.18). There was mean disengagement level of 2.25 and a mean exhaustion level of 2.59. There was no statistically significant variance between staff, by demographics (i.e. occupation, years working in the ED, age, or gender). There was no significant difference in burnout rates or scores between St. James Hospital, Dublin, and Cork University Hospital, though the former tended to have a higher rate of burnout at 81% vs the 67% burnout observed in CUH. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic may be contributing to the long-established problem of health care burnout. The trajectory of this disease is still unclear. Consistent, progressive measures to address staff well-being, and support frontline workers, are imperative going forward.