Are we ‘gritty’ enough? The importance of ‘grit’ in O&G training: Association of passion and perseverance with burnout, thriving and career progression

Abstract

Background: Objective assessment of grit and its association with burnout in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) training is underexplored.Aim: This study utilises the Short Grit Scale and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory to investigate the association of grit with burnout, thriving and career progression among O&G trainees and Fellows in Australia/New Zealand. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional survey of the RANZCOG (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) members was conducted. Participants were categorised by seniority level (core trainees, advanced trainees and Fellows). Mean grit and burnout scores were compared with one-way analyses of variance. Correlation between grit and burnout was estimated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with high vs low burnout. Grit was categorised as low/medium/high for regression models.Results: A total of 751 (26%) participants completed the survey. Fellows reported higher mean grit than core (P = 0.02) and advanced trainees (P = 0.03), and lower mean burnout than core trainees (P < 0.001). Moderate negative correlation was demonstrated between grit and burnout scores (r = −0.34). In the multivariable model, only seniority (adjusted adds ratio (OR): 0.40 for Fellows vs core trainees, P = 0.008) and grit levels (adjusted OR:4.52 for low versus high, P < 0.001; 2.32 for low vs medium, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion:This study demonstrates the protective role of grit in combating burnout among RANZCOG trainees and Fellows. While further well-designed studies are warranted, findings from our study are expected to help the College in developing targeted interventions and subsequently minimise burnout-related adverse outcomes in high-risk groups.

Thinking out of the box’ exploring the dual outcomes of gritty leadership in project-based organizations

“…Gritty leadership is not only an understudied area, but its dual outcomes are also ignored. The study expands on recent findings (Lucky et al, 2022;Houston et al, 2021;Dugan et al, 2019;Hochstein et al, 2017) that demonstrate that grit can have contradictory effects. Ignoring the drawbacks and focusing solely on the positive outcomes is unjust.…”

“…On the other side, the research also satisfies calls from academics (such as Lucky et al , 2022; Dugan et al , 2019) to look into the drawbacks of grit. Employees’ work-life balance is impacted by the intense focus and ongoing stress on goal achievement, which diverts their attention from their responsibilities.…”

“…Extant research also reveals that gritty leadership may have both positive and negative implications. Thus, its negative effect should be explored (Lucky et al, 2022;Houston et al, 2021: Dugan et al, 2019Hochstein et al, 2017). As this negativity severely affects employees' quality of work and life, based on existing research, we assume that: H3.…”

“…Discussing its benefits, grit in leaders may inspire workers and foster positivity (Lucky et al, 2022). Duckworth (2016) asserted that "A person's grit improves the grit of others," stating that this is accomplished through role modeling.…”

“…According to research on grit’s connections to performance, job satisfaction, thriving and other characteristics (Kim and Lee, 2021; Rego et al , 2021; Dugan et al , 2019), grit leads to favorable results across a variety of contexts and cultures. However, scholars have cautioned that focusing just on its positive effects is unfair because it might potentially have some negative ones (Lucky et al , 2022: Dugan et al , 2019; Hochstein et al , 2017). The grit of a leader, i.e.…”