Professional burnout in pediatric intensive care units in Argentina

Introduction. There is currently a deficiency of physicians in pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The cause of this deficit is multifactorial, although the burnout phenomenon has been described as relevant. Objective. To analyze the situation of human resource in the pediatric intensive care units in Argentina and measure the level of burnout. Methods. An observational cross-sectional study through surveys administered electronically; the Maslach Burnout Inventory was used. Physicians that work at public o private pediatric intensive care units in Argentina during at least 24 hours per week were invited to participate. Results. A total of 162 surveys were completed (response rate 60%). We observed a high risk of burnout in emotional exhaustion in 40 therapists (25%), in fulfillment in 9 (6%), and depersonalization in 31 (19%). In combination, 66 professionals (41%) had a high risk of burnout to some extent; there were independent protective factors of this risk as to be certified in the specialty (ORA 0.38, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.75) and work in public sector PICU (ORA 0.31, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.65), while working more than 36 hours/week on duty increased the risk (ORA 1.94, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.85). Additionally, 31% said that they did not plan to continue working in intensive care, and 86% did not think to continue with on call duties in the following years. Over 60% of respondents reported that changes in professional practice (salary, staff positions, early retirement, fewer loads on call) could prolong the expectation of continuing activities in PICU. Conclusions. A significant percentage of doctors working in the PICU of Argentina have a high risk of burnout syndrome and a low expectation of continuing in the field.