Burnout among Caregivers in Four Maternities in Brazzaville

Abstract

Introduction: The professional exhaustion syndrome, also referred to as burnout, combines deep fatigue, disinvestment in professional activity, a feeling of failure and incompetence at work resulting from the chronic constraints suffered by the worker. The purpose of this work is to assess its prevalence among caregivers of the maternity wards in the district hospitals of Brazzaville. Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in four maternities of respectively Bacongo, Makélékélé, Mfilou and Talangai hospitals in Brazzaville between February 1st and February 28th, 2021. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics were collected from a sample of midwives and nurses. The level of exhaustion was evaluated using the “Maslach Burnout Inventory” scale defined as “high” when the 3 dimensions are reached, “moderate” when only 2 are reached, and low for any other result. Results: Among the 143 caregivers investigated (62.9%) of respondents declared being in burnout. According to the dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory scale, 53.1% are caregivers are in high emotional exhaustion; 53.1% have a high level of depersonalization and 75.5% have a low level of personal accomplishment. Workload (OR = 13.69; [4.28 - 61.27]; p < 0.001), non-civil servant status (OR = 19.80 [6.50 - 79.28]; p < 0.001), and inadequacy of the tasks according to the caregivers’ knowledge (OR = 42.98 [4.74 - 1344.39]; p = 0.004) are risk factors for burnout. On the other hand, satisfactory relationships between colleagues (OR = 0.01; [0.00 - 0.07]; p < 0.001) or with hierarchical superiors (OR = 0.05; [0.00 - 0.06]; p = 0.001) have a lesser risk to be in burnout. Conclusion: In our study, all dimensions of burnout were high. It is therefore a real phenomenon among caregivers in the four maternities of the district hospitals of Brazzaville. The associated factors can be avoided through prevention.