215 - Burnout and Work Engagement Profiles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Associations with Self-Reported Safety Behaviors and Climate

Poster Number: 215
Publication Number: 215.339

Benjamin D. Austin, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Niamh E. Dawson, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Stacey L. Parker, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Helen G. Liley, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Samudragupta Bora, Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Background: Burnout and work engagement have been associated with patient safety outcomes in clinical settings. Specifically, healthcare professionals with higher engagement scores demonstrate more favorable safety behaviors and more positive perceptions of safety climate within their work setting. The inverse relationship is also evident among healthcare professionals with higher levels of burnout. However, limited evidence of their specific relationship exists within the safety-critical neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) context.

Objective:
Characterize the distinct burnout and engagement profiles in the NICU and identify patterns of safety behaviors and climate across these profiles.

Design/Methods:
Sample comprised 286 Level-3 NICU staff (24.1% physicians, 75.9% nurses) in Australia and New Zealand, who completed standardized questionnaires at a single time-point between August 2020 and April 2021. Participants varied in level of experience and employment type (Table 1). Burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, professional accomplishment) was assessed using the 16-item Maslach Burnout Inventory: General Survey. Work engagement (vigor, dedication, absorption) was assessed using the 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Burnout and work engagement profiles were identified using latent profile analysis, a person-centered approach that identifies groups of participants with similar patterns of responses. Safety measures utilized were the 4-item Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, a 6-item scale of safety participation and compliance, and a 3-item scale of safety voice.

Results:
Latent profile analysis identified three distinct groups (Figure 1) — Profile 1: Burned-out (14%), characterized by lower engagement and higher burnout scores than the sample mean; Profile 2: Disengaged (34%), characterized by slightly lower engagement and slightly higher burnout scores than the mean, demonstrating a similar pattern to Profile 1, but with reduced magnitude; and Profile 3: Engaged (52%), characterized by higher scores on engagement and lower scores on burnout than the mean, demonstrating the inverse relationship to Profiles 1 and 2. The Burned-out and Disengaged profiles were associated with lower scores than the mean across all measures of safety, whereas the Engaged profile was associated with safety scores higher than the mean (Figure 2).
Conclusion(s):
Study findings are novel in recognizing distinct burnout and engagement profiles in the NICU, and their unique patterns of self-reported safety. Replication of these findings across different healthcare systems as well as objective markers of safety is warranted.

Academic Curriculum Vitae: Benjamin AustinBenjamin Austin Academic CV_PAS_.pdf
Figure 1: Burnout and Engagement Profile CharacteristicsCharacteristics of the three identified profiles, showing each profile's standardized scores across the burnout and engagement domains.