Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the presence of burnout in online degree advancement Respiratory Care students during a pandemic and characteristics/strategies of resiliency. Method: The design of the study was quantitative; non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional survey research. The Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS (MP) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used to measure these constructs. Results: One hundred and twenty-nine (129) students completed components of the survey for a response rate of approximately 28%. Relevant findings include a somewhat higher level of depersonalization for those who practice in adult acute care. Emotional exhaustion was higher in those who reported working directly with COVID-19 patients. Depersonalization was higher in the younger aged professionals (18-40 years). Resilience was found to have a negative correlation with both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and a positive correlation with personal accomplishment. Conclusions: Findings support the need for training and education on emotional intelligence and opportunities to practice mindfulness-based stress reduction. Additionally, workload reductions and adequate time for recovery may help alleviate the emotional exhaustion of working respiratory therapists who are pursuing an advanced degree online.
This document was originally published in the Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice by NSUWorks. © The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, 2022. Copyright restrictions may apply. https://doi.org/10.46743/1540-580X/2022.2135
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kristen-mchenry/49/