Burnout among Direct-Care Workers in Nursing Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Preventive and Educational Focus for Sustainable Workplaces

Abstract

Due to their continuous contact with pain and death, healthcare workers have one of the most stressful professions. Pain and death are more common in nursing homes. During the health crisis associated with COVID-19, these work centers have been characterized as spaces of high vulnerability to infection for the elderly, with a high mortality rate. This research aims to determine how the health crisis associated with COVID-19 has influenced healthcare professionals working in nursing homes for the elderly. Using a quantitative and cross-sectional method, the research was developed in residential centers in the Region of Murcia (Spain) during the second wave of the pandemic. A survey design based mainly on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was employed. MBI measures three subscales: emotional burnout, depersonalization, and self-fulfillment. The results show that 6.4% of the respondents were burned out, 53.8% of the participants were emotionally exhausted, 35.1% were found to suffer from depersonalization, and in the case of personal development, the respondents showed a low level of 15.6%. This study shows the need to consider the establishment, in the academic environment, of training programs for health professionals related to coping with, managing, and identifying stress, especially in adverse circumstances. Similarly, in the professional field, it is necessary to develop strategies to prevent stress and anxiety in the workplace. The development of training programs for this purpose is essential for achieving a sustainable work context.

The Role of Healthcare Professionals’ Passion in Predicting Secondary Traumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in the Face of COVID-19: A Longitudinal Approach

“…One reason could be the high pressure and workload that they could have suffered from the beginning of the pandemic, as other studies have pointed out the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on some private health sectors, where the lack of information and protocols necessary to overcome the initial impact may increase ambiguity and distress [ 52 ]. Due to the initial hazards that they may face, as they were considered in the first wave as a high-vulnerability sector [ 5 ], nursing homes could have started in the second wave experiencing this posttraumatic growth once the resources were stable and protocols were well established, showing higher levels in comparison with hospitals and health centers. Similar to this, the differences found between physicians and nurse aides may confirm this tentative explanation, as the higher the lack of resources, the higher the posttraumatic growth, possibly as a way to overcome this initial trauma and the lack of clear procedures [ 38 ].…”

“…Undoubtedly, the current crisis of the COVID-19 disease pandemic has strongly impacted on the general population, being declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) [ 1 ]. However, this impact has been noticeably harder when it comes to healthcare professionals on the front line [ 2 ] from different health institutions, such as hospitals [ 3 ], health centers [ 4 ], and nursing homes [ 5 ]. Previous studies of the first wave of the pandemic have considered these three institutions to have high vulnerability due to exposure to death and high rates of infected patients [ 3 , 5 ].…”

“…However, this impact has been noticeably harder when it comes to healthcare professionals on the front line [ 2 ] from different health institutions, such as hospitals [ 3 ], health centers [ 4 ], and nursing homes [ 5 ]. Previous studies of the first wave of the pandemic have considered these three institutions to have high vulnerability due to exposure to death and high rates of infected patients [ 3 , 5 ]. Research focused on healthcare professionals in the first wave of the pandemic remarks on the high risks of these professionals for suffering from occupational negative consequences such as burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress (hereinafter STS) [ 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Predicting Job Burnout and Its Antecedents: Evidence from Financial Information Technology Firms

“…Taken together, this study employed a latent growth model to examine the JE development behavior with its antecedents and its effect on JB development behavior. Most previous JE or JB researchers have been cross-sectional [28,29] rather than an examination of employee development behaviors over time. By collecting data from 710 employees of R&D departments at multiple points in time over 6 months, the present study can address these gaps in the literature.…”

Effects of Implementation of Infection Control Measures against COVID-19 on the Condition of Japanese Rural Nursing Homes

“…Infection control requires limiting medical care in medical facilities and reducing the duration of care provided to patients, which can lead to low-quality medical care and the risk of missing signs of acute conditions in patients [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Additionally, as few healthcare resources are available in nursing homes in rural areas, the staff cannot take a day off if they are symptomatic [ 26 ]. Thus, a clarification of the patients’ health conditions and the staff’s working conditions in rural areas can lead to a better understanding of strict COVID-19 control in rural nursing homes, which can contribute to the appropriate management of rural nursing homes during the pandemic.…”