Health and Well-Being of Intensive Care Unit Physicians: How to Ensure the Longevity of a Critical Specialty

doi:10.1016/j.anclin.2022.10.009

Review

. 2023 Mar;41(1):303-316.

doi: 10.1016/j.anclin.2022.10.009.

Health and Well-Being of Intensive Care Unit Physicians: How to Ensure the Longevity of a Critical Specialty

John C Klick¹, Madiha Syed², Ron Leong³, Haley Miranda⁴, Elizabeth K Cotter⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, 111 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
² Department of Intensive Care & Resuscitation, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Mail Code G58, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
³ Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medial College, 111 South 11th Street, Gibbon Building, Suite 8130, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
⁴ Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, MS 1034, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
⁵ Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, MS 1034, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: Ecotter2@kumc.edu.

PMID: 36872006
PMCID: PMC9985495
DOI: 10.1016/j.anclin.2022.10.009

Review

Health and Well-Being of Intensive Care Unit Physicians: How to Ensure the Longevity of a Critical Specialty

John C Klick et al. Anesthesiol Clin. 2023 Mar.

. 2023 Mar;41(1):303-316.

doi: 10.1016/j.anclin.2022.10.009.

Authors

John C Klick¹, Madiha Syed², Ron Leong³, Haley Miranda⁴, Elizabeth K Cotter⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, 111 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
² Department of Intensive Care & Resuscitation, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Mail Code G58, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
³ Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medial College, 111 South 11th Street, Gibbon Building, Suite 8130, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
⁴ Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, MS 1034, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
⁵ Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, MS 1034, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: Ecotter2@kumc.edu.

PMID: 36872006
PMCID: PMC9985495
DOI: 10.1016/j.anclin.2022.10.009

Abstract

A second epidemic of burnout, fatigue, anxiety, and moral distress has emerged concurrently with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and critical care physicians are especially affected. This article reviews the history of burnout in health care workers, presents the signs and symptoms, discusses the specific impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intensive care unit caregivers, and attempts to identify potential strategies to combat the Great Resignation disproportionately affecting health care workers. The article also focuses on how the specialty can amplify the voices and highlight the leadership potential of underrepresented minorities, physicians with disabilities, and the aging physician population.

Keywords: Burnout; COVID-19; Diversity; ICU staffing; Inclusion; Moral distress; Wellness.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Risk factors associated with burnout syndrome.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

Cited by

Representation of intensivists' race/ethnicity, sex, and age by artificial intelligence: a cross-sectional study of two text-to-image models.
Gisselbaek M, Suppan M, Minsart L, Köselerli E, Nainan Myatra S, Matot I, Barreto Chang OL, Saxena S, Berger-Estilita J. Gisselbaek M, et al. Crit Care. 2024 Nov 11;28(1):363. doi: 10.1186/s13054-024-05134-4. Crit Care. 2024. PMID: 39529104 Free PMC article.
Consequences of Preterm Birth: Knowns, Unknowns, and Barriers to Advancing Cardiopulmonary Health.
Hubbard CD, Bates ML, Lovering AT, Duke JW. Hubbard CD, et al. Integr Comp Biol. 2023 Sep 15;63(3):693-704. doi: 10.1093/icb/icad045. Integr Comp Biol. 2023. PMID: 37253617 Free PMC article.
Critical care, critical gaps: assessment of burnout and behavioral profiles of ICU healthcare workers in China-a multicenter cross-sectional study.
Zhang CQ, Li X, He L, Xu B, Wu Y, He J, Wang W, Lu ZQ. Zhang CQ, et al. Front Public Health. 2025 Jun 26;13:1617081. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1617081. eCollection 2025. Front Public Health. 2025. PMID: 40642244 Free PMC article.

References

1. Siddiqui S., Tung A., Kelly L., et al. Anxiety, worry, and job satisfaction: effects of COVID-19 care on critical care anesthesiologists. Can J Anaesth. 2022;69(4):552–554. - PMC - PubMed
1. Moll V., Meissen H., Pappas S., et al. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic impacts burnout syndrome differently among multiprofessional critical care clinicians-a longitudinal survey study. Crit Care Med. 2022;50(3):440–448. - PMC - PubMed
1. Sinsky C.A., Brown R.L., Stillman M.J., et al. COVID-related stress and work intentions in a sample of us health care workers. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021;5(6):1165–1173. - PMC - PubMed
1. Khanna A.K., Majesko A., Johansson M., et al. The multidisciplinary critical care workforce: an update from SCCM. Soceity of critical care medicine. Critical connections Web site. 2022. https://www.sccm.org/Communications/Critical-Connections/Archives/2019/T... Available at: Accessed May 8, 2022.
1. Hussain R.S., Kataria T.C. Adequacy of workforce - are there enough critical care doctors in the US-post COVID? Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2021;34(2):149–153. - PubMed

Publication types

Actions

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
Medical
- MedlinePlus Health Information

[1] Siddiqui S., Tung A., Kelly L., et al. Anxiety, worry, and job satisfaction: effects of COVID-19 care on critical care anesthesiologists. Can J Anaesth. 2022;69(4):552–554. - PMC - PubMed

[2] Siddiqui S., Tung A., Kelly L., et al. Anxiety, worry, and job satisfaction: effects of COVID-19 care on critical care anesthesiologists. Can J Anaesth. 2022;69(4):552–554. - PMC - PubMed

[3] Moll V., Meissen H., Pappas S., et al. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic impacts burnout syndrome differently among multiprofessional critical care clinicians-a longitudinal survey study. Crit Care Med. 2022;50(3):440–448. - PMC - PubMed

[4] Moll V., Meissen H., Pappas S., et al. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic impacts burnout syndrome differently among multiprofessional critical care clinicians-a longitudinal survey study. Crit Care Med. 2022;50(3):440–448. - PMC - PubMed

[5] Sinsky C.A., Brown R.L., Stillman M.J., et al. COVID-related stress and work intentions in a sample of us health care workers. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021;5(6):1165–1173. - PMC - PubMed

[6] Sinsky C.A., Brown R.L., Stillman M.J., et al. COVID-related stress and work intentions in a sample of us health care workers. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021;5(6):1165–1173. - PMC - PubMed

[7] Khanna A.K., Majesko A., Johansson M., et al. The multidisciplinary critical care workforce: an update from SCCM. Soceity of critical care medicine. Critical connections Web site. 2022. https://www.sccm.org/Communications/Critical-Connections/Archives/2019/T... Available at: Accessed May 8, 2022.

[8] Khanna A.K., Majesko A., Johansson M., et al. The multidisciplinary critical care workforce: an update from SCCM. Soceity of critical care medicine. Critical connections Web site. 2022. https://www.sccm.org/Communications/Critical-Connections/Archives/2019/T... Available at: Accessed May 8, 2022.

[9] Hussain R.S., Kataria T.C. Adequacy of workforce - are there enough critical care doctors in the US-post COVID? Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2021;34(2):149–153. - PubMed

[10] Hussain R.S., Kataria T.C. Adequacy of workforce - are there enough critical care doctors in the US-post COVID? Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2021;34(2):149–153. - PubMed

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Health and Well-Being of Intensive Care Unit Physicians: How to Ensure the Longevity of a Critical Specialty

Affiliations

Health and Well-Being of Intensive Care Unit Physicians: How to Ensure the Longevity of a Critical Specialty

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Figures

Similar articles

Cited by

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical

Abstract

Figures

Similar articles

Cited by

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Related information

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical