Burnout among veterinary anaesthesia specialists: time to 'rock the boat' (part 1)

Hamaseh Tayari; Derek Flaherty; Alex Dugdale; Rachel Bennett; Adam Auckburally

doi:10.1016/j.vaa.2024.10.139

Burnout among veterinary anaesthesia specialists: time to 'rock the boat' (part 1)

Vet Anaesth Analg. 2024 Oct 26:S1467-2987(24)00332-5. doi: 10.1016/j.vaa.2024.10.139. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hamaseh Tayari¹, Derek Flaherty², Alex Dugdale³, Rachel Bennett⁴, Adam Auckburally²

Affiliations

¹ Anaesthesia Department, Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists, Ringwood, UK. Electronic address: hamasehtayari@gmail.com.
² Anaesthesia Department, Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists, Ringwood, UK.
³ Anaesthesia Department, Paragon Veterinary Referrals, Paragon Point, Red Hall Cres, Wakefield WF1 2DF, UK.
⁴ Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

PMID: 39580244
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaa.2024.10.139

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of burnout among veterinary anaesthesia specialists and explore correlations with sociodemographic variables.

Study design: Cross-sectional, online, anonymous, voluntary survey.

Population: A total of 530 worldwide veterinary anaesthesia specialists affiliated to American (ACVAA) and/or European (ECVAA) Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia Colleges.

Methods: An electronic questionnaire, incorporating the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel [MBI-HSS (MP)] and a sociodemographic questionnaire, was used. The MBI-HSS (MP) assessed the three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA) using 22 questions, each with a 7-point Likert-type scale answer option, to compute a total score for each dimension. Thresholds for high levels of EE ≥ 27, DP ≥ 10 and for low level of PA ≤ 33. Responders were categorized as high risk for burnout with EE ≥ 27 and DP ≥ 10, and as having burnout syndrome with EE ≥ 27, DP ≥ 10 and PA ≤ 33. Data were investigated with descriptive statistical and regression analysis; p-value < 0.05.

Results: Participation rate was 54% (286/530 Diplomates); 65% were identified as women; mean age was 44 years; 59% were married/civil partnership; 52% were ACVAA affiliated; 50% were working in North America; and 51% in academia. The prevalence of high risk for burnout was 42.6% (122/286), and for burnout syndrome was 24.5% (70/286). Number of hours worked per week positively correlated with EE (p < 0.0001) and DP (p = 0.02). Out-of-hours duty positively correlated with EE (p = 0.01) and DP (p = 0.04) and negatively correlated with PA (p = 0.04). Higher burnout prevalence was identified among younger Diplomates, those working ≥ 40 hours per week, in academia/research, and in North America.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Concerted effort is required to address the unacceptably high risk of developing burnout and burnout syndrome observed among ACVAA/ECVAA Diplomates.

Keywords: MBI-HSS; Maslach Burnout Inventory; anaesthesia specialist; burnout syndrome; risk for burnout; veterinary anaesthesia.