Burnout, professional fulfillment, and post‐traumatic stress among pediatric solid organ transplant teams

• Published in: Pediatric transplantation 2021-06, Vol.25 (4), p.e14020-n/a
• Main Authors: Cousino, Melissa K., Bogle, Carmel, Lim, Heang M., McCormick, Amanda D., Sturza, Julie, Fredericks, Emily M., Magee, John C., Blume, Elizabeth D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Burnout; Burnout, Professional - diagnosis; Burnout, Professional - epidemiology; Burnout, Professional - etiology; Burnout, Professional - prevention & control; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Male; Middle Aged; Organ Transplantation - psychology; Patient Care Team; Pediatrics; Post traumatic stress disorder; post‐traumatic stress; Psychological Tests; Risk Factors; Self Report; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - prevention & control; transplant; wellness
• ISSN: 1397-3142; 1399-3046
• DOI: 10.1111/petr.14020

Background Adverse effects of clinician burnout have been studied across multiple specialties; however, there have been no studies examining rates of burnout among pediatric solid organ transplant teams. This study aimed to measure burnout, work exhaustion, professional fulfillment, and post‐traumatic stress symptoms among clinicians and administrators practicing in this high‐stress field. Methods This cross‐sectional study utilized a 50 item web‐based survey that included the Personal Fulfillment Index and the IES‐R. This survey was distributed across four pediatric solid organ transplant centers in North America. Basic demographics, clinician characteristics, and information regarding wellness and self‐care activities were collected. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed. Results One hundred and thirty five participants completed the survey, 76% were female and 78% were Caucasian. One‐third (34%) of participants endorsed burnout, while 43% reported professional fulfillment. Approximately 15% of respondents endorsed clinically significant levels of post‐traumatic stress symptoms related to patient deaths, with female clinicians more likely to endorse symptoms (p = .01). Nearly 80% of participants reported engaging in self‐care activities outside of work and only 10% of participants reported participation in hospital‐sponsored wellness programs. Conclusions Pediatric solid organ transplant team members exhibited moderate levels of burnout, professional fulfillment, and post‐traumatic stress. Female clinicians were the most likely to experience both work exhaustion and post‐traumatic stress symptoms. Transplant centers are encouraged to consider interventions and programming to improve clinician wellness.