Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2015, 6(1):218-223 | DOI: 10.15452/CEJNM.2015.06.0006

Burnout among healthcare workers in hospice care

Helena Pavelková, Radka Bužgová^*

Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic

Aim: The aim of this survey was to determine the degree of burnout among healthcare workers caring for patients in hospices, sources of occupational stress and ways of coping with stress. Also to determine the associations between burnout and demographic characteristics of workers, type of hospice care and length of experience in hospice care.

Design: A cross-sectional, observational study.

Methods: The sample consisted of 241 healthcare professionals working in twenty hospices with a minimum length of experience in hospice care of 6 months. The Burnout Measure, a standardized questionnaire for the assessment of burnout, and our own questionnaire for determination of demographic data, sources of occupational stress and ways of coping with stress were used.

Results: The survey found that the degree of burnout among healthcare workers in hospices was low and did not depend on demographic factors, length of experience or the type of hospice care. Burnout was found in 6% of workers and alarming levels in 28%. The main source of stress identified by the workers were administrative work and being confronted with suffering. The most common ways of coping with stress were spending time with their families; as the best prevention of burnout, they wished to meet their colleagues outside working hours.

Conclusion: Burnout among workers in hospice care should be monitored in order to identify individuals requiring greater care and support.

Keywords: burnout, healthcare worker, palliative care, patient, hospice, dying

Received: January 6, 2015; Accepted: February 16, 2015; Published: March 30, 2015  Show citation