Burnout, Organizational Justice, Workload, and Emotional Regulation among Medical and Non-Medical Personnel Working in Romanian Healthcare Units

Abstract

Background and objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the levels of organizational justice, emotional regulation, and workload associated with the level of burnout experienced in medical and non-medical staff from public and private medical units. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 230 healthcare professionals, including 139 medical personnel and 91 non-medical staff respondents. The collected socio-demographic and organizational data and psychological tools were the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI HSS), the ECO System, and the emotional regulation questionnaire (ERQ). Results: For medical staff, burnout was measured in terms of emotional exhaustion (M = 27.05 ± 12.34), depersonalization (M = 8.26 ± 3.95), and personal accomplishment (M = 47.35 ± 6.78). The scores for non-medical staff were emotional exhaustion (M = 35.84 ± 14.71), depersonalization (M = 11.79 ± 6.30), and personal accomplishment (M = 44 ± 7.37). In terms of workload, higher scores were observed for non-medical staff (M = 25.43 ± 7.87), while medical staff recorded lower values (M = 20.35 ± 7.65). The scores for the cognitive reappraisal dimension were as follows: medical personnel (M = 32.02 ± 5.37) and non-medical staff (M = 31.67 ± 6.19). In terms of the expressive suppression dimension, medical staff registered at M = 17.99 ± 5.61, and non-medical staff registered at M = 17.19 ± 5.53. For organizational justice, higher scores were registered for medical staff (M = 25.87 ± 6.02) and lower scores for non-medical staff (M = 21.34 ± 5.72). Conclusions: Medical staff felt a higher sense of organizational justice than non-medical staff, as is also evidenced by the level of the workload dimension, which registers higher values for non-medical personnel. In the case of burnout, higher levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions were also revealed for non-medical staff and, in the case of the professional fulfillment dimension, higher scores were registered for medical staff.

The Relationship between Burnout and Wellbeing Using Social Support, Organizational Justice, and Lifelong Learning in Healthcare Specialists from Romania

“…Medical personnel experience a higher level of organizational justice and personal accomplishment than non-medical personnel. These results are similar to previous research that revealed a higher level in the case of these dimensions for medical personnel [ 34 ]. A higher wellbeing score for medical staff was also recorded.…”

“…Although on January 1, 2023, staff categories assimilated to administrative staff benefited from salary increases of 10%, these increases appeared insufficient against the background of still-high inflation [40] and salary inequities generated over time for this category of staff. Given that doctors and nurses are more professionally fulfilled and experienced significantly higher organizational justice, while administrative staff experienced significantly more EE and D, it seems that this finding is congruent with those of Maslach et al [2] who discovered that a feeling of inequity can eventually determine professional burnout, inequity often being felt against the background of workload [34] or financial considerations [2].…”

The Relationship Between Burn out and Organizational Culture Among Health Systems’ Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Furthermore, the research focuses upon patient-facing employees and not non-patient-facing employees. Claponea and Iorga (2023) analyze burnout and perceptions of organizational justice among medical and non-medical employees but do not analyze other aspects of OC, such as organizational support.…”

“…Therefore, further research is needed. (Claponea& Iorga, 2023). Some studies combine OC and burnout questions, such as Roth et al (2021).…”

An Overview of Reviews to Inform Organization-Level Interventions to Address Burnout in Rheumatologists

“…6 In addition, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic contributed substantially to heightened physician burnout globally. 7,8 Although the prevalence of burnout among rheumatologists is not well reported, recent investigations suggest it is substantial, at around 50%. In 2019 and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of 128 rheumatologists demonstrated that at least 50% had burnout in 1 or more domains of the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI).…”