Burnout among ICU Healthcare Workers at Two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Makkah during the Hajj Season

BACKGROUND: The Hajj season results in increased workload and longer shift hours for healthcare workers at the intensive care units (ICUs), which may result in burnout. OBJECTIVE: To determine the point prevalence of professional burnout and its predictors among healthcare workers at the ICUs of two tertiary care hospitals in Makkah during the Hajj season. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study included all healthcare professionals working at the ICU departments of two of the largest tertiary care hospitals in the Makkah region during the 1439/2018 Hajj season. The original Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire was used to measure burnout. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the effect size of the associated risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 354 participants completed the questionnaire. Moderate to severe burnout was found in each of the three subscales: emotional exhaustion, 56%; depersonalization, 82%, and impaired personal achievement, 72%. Nurses were significantly more likely to experience burnout compared with physicians (P = 0.017). Independent predictors of moderate or severe burnout were being aged ≤40 years (odds ratio [OR]: 2.1, 95% CI: 0.395–4.002; P = 0.045), female gender (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 0.242–4.346; P = 0.037); work having a negative impact on family (OR: 3, 95% CI: 0.164–5.504; P = 0.019); unsatisfaction with salary (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 0.28–5.056; P = 0.025); and working at the cardiac critical care unit (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 0.440–4.467; P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the point prevalence of burnout is common among ICU healthcare workers during the Hajj season. These findings can be used by policymakers to devise strategies to mitigate the risks of burnout during the Hajj season.