Staff burnout in a hospice setting

Abstract

Burnout is a job-related state characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion which can be caused by intense involvement over an extended period of time with people who are experiencing psychological and/or physical problems. People working in the health care professions have been identified as being particularly at risk for experiencing burnout. Based on hospice staff survey data collected as a part of the National Hospice Study (NHS), this paper describes multivariate analyses of selected demographic, occupational, and organizational predictors of burnout. Findings indicated that younger, better-educated staff are more prone to burnout, as are staff who work on a full-time basis in direct contact with patients. None of the hospice organizational factors tested were significantly related to burnout. Further research is necessary to determine whether or not such factors as staff support systems are effective in mitigating burnout among staff in the health care field.