[Burnout among Israeli Transplantation Coordinators]

Abstract

Background: The role of the Transplant Coordinator (TC) is extremely demanding, as the TC faces a bereaved family at its most difficult moment, with a request for the body parts of a newly-lost family member. It is easy to assume that the burnout rate among TC is very high.

Aim: This study examined the incidence of burnout among TC's in Israel, and factors influencing this burnout.

Methods: All 26 TC's in Israel responded to a questionnaire in which they rated 12 statements concerning emotionality, control, responsibility and satisfaction. Their responses and the ratio between burnout and the factors in question were analyzed statistically.

Results: The three factors that influenced the burnout were control, the sense of satisfaction and self-realization, and the sense of responsibility. In an ascending scale from 1-5 it was found that TC's sense a high level of control (4.19 +/- 0.56), satisfaction (4.05 +/- 0.75) and responsibility (3.65 +/- 0.72). The mean level of a sense of burnout was relatively low (-2.25 +/- 0.50). A significantly negative correlation was found between the feeling of control and the burnout level, as the sense of control was stronger the burnout was lower (p=0.005, r=-0.50). A medium-strong, significantly negative correlation between the sense of satisfaction and self-realization and the burnout level was found--as the satisfaction level increased the burnout level decreased. A negative correlation, but a less intense relationship, was found between the sense of responsibility and the burnout level (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The findings of this research study show that the TC's sense of control and autonomy has a significant role in the prevention of burnout. The medical organization's management should be aware and sensitive to these facts in order to improve the work of the TC and to prevent job turnover. Lowering the burnout rate will hopefully lead to more organ donations and more lives saved.