Occupational well-being in medically assisted reproduction laboratory: a qualitative analysis among Italian clinical embryologists

• Published in: Reproductive biomedicine online 2024-05, Vol.48, p.104034, Article 104034
• Main Authors: Alteri, A., Astro, G., Gatti, M., Costa, M., Cosmelli, A., Anastasi, A., Cimadomo, D., De Santis, L., Klinger, F., Licata, E., Fernandez, L. Sosa, Tomasi, G., Vegni, E., Pisaturo, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1472-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.104034

In the context of medically assisted reproduction (MAR), care providers are faced with a myriad of stressors from organizational challenges (e.g., intense time pressures and workload) to external factors such as patient unrealistic expectations. Occupational stress should be kept under control to minimize a progressive worsening of professional well-being, job dissatisfaction, increased anxiety, and behavioral disorders. Also, the quality of patient care (efficacy and safety) might suffer from the consequences of occupational stress. A few national studies investigated the occupational demands of clinical embryologists, suggesting a high risk of burnout syndrome. Our study aimed to explore the topic of occupational well-being by investigating the experiences of embryologists working at Italian MAR centers. Qualitative interview study of 18 Italian embryologists working at both public and private centers. Participants were recruited among SIERR (Italian Society of Embryology, Reproduction, and Research) members. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify the main themes and sub-themes. The interviewees were concordant that excessive workload might affect their psychophysical well-being, especially in view of a salary perceived as unsatisfactory with respect to the high responsibility and training involved by this job. In general, only public sector senior embryologists reported a manageable workload, proportionate to their salary. A key issue identified was the shortage of qualified embryologists, sometimes replaced with less specialized personnel. This might worsen a work environment often perceived challenging because of complex intra-team dynamics, management of interpersonal relationships, and unclear definition of the roles. A competitive and isolating atmosphere can slow down professional growth and limit positive networking. Of note, the participants emphasized the importance of patient counselling for their professional well-being, advocating for a more intense interaction with the couples. Although being limited by a small sample size, this study suggests that embryologists’ workload, compensation, and professional well-being themes should be carefully addressed at a national and international level. In fact, this is crucial for high-quality patient care as a greater recognition of their role might positively influence MAR performance as well.