Effect of Noise in the Emergency Department on Occupational Burnout and Resignation Intention of Medical Staff

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to explore the effect of noise in the emergency department on the occupational burnout and the resignation intentions of medical staff. Methods: This retrospective study selected 42 medical staff (group A) in the emergency department of our hospital from March 2020 to March 2021 and 39 medical staff (group B) in the rehabilitation department during the same period as research subjects. Noise levels in the daily working environment of medical staff were collected. The Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey and Intent to Leave Scale was used to evaluate occupational burnout and resignation intention. A multivariate linear regression analysis was adopted to explore the effects of noise exposure level in the emergency department on occupational burnout and resignation intention. Results: The scores of emotional fatigue, work apathy and sense of achievement in group A were higher than those in group B (P < 0.05), among which reverse scoring was adopted for sense of accomplishment. Group A had significantly higher scores of resignation intention I, resignation intention II and resignation intention III than group B (P < 0.001). The department of group A had significantly higher noise level than that of group B (P < 0.001). The Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that noise level in the emergency department was correlated with the occupational burnout and resignation intention of medical staff (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: The emergency department is exposed to a high noise level, which is correlated with the occupational burnout and resignation intentions of medical staff. Therefore, hospitals should give importance to noise exposure in the emergency departments and adopt positive coping strategies to reduce the effect of noise on medical staff and the resignation rate.