Perceived Effectiveness of Employer-Provided Burnout Resources for Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Pharmacists

Abstract

Background: Among health care professionals, burnout is of growing concern, affecting both personal well-being and professional performance. Burnout poses significant risks to patient care with diminished work quality and increased staff turnover. Factors contributing to burnout have been identified although specific preventative resources and accessibility data remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate burnout among emergency medicine and critical care pharmacists, and identify the availability and impact of employer-provided resources on burnout. Methods: This national survey aimed to describe burnout and preventative resource utilization among emergency medicine and critical care pharmacists. Responses were collected from December 20, 2024 to February 14, 2025 from self-identified critical care and emergency medicine pharmacists that accessed the survey from professional listserv posts or email invitations. Demographic information was collected, and burnout was assessed using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (range 16-64, with higher scores indicating more burnout). Descriptive statistics, Student’s t tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used with statistical significance defined as P < 0.05. Multivariable linear regression models were used to understand the relationships among variables and burnout. Free text survey responses were reviewed and coded based on themes. Results: Among 346 completed surveys, 72.1% were submitted by female pharmacists, and 50% of respondents practice in emergency medicine. Moderate burnout was observed with a mean score of 39.1 (SD = 7.1). 46.4% of participants indicated using resources at least monthly with clinical support during shifts the most common. All multivariate models demonstrated an association between lack of peer support and burnout. The top resources pharmacists suggested for reducing burnout included improved scheduling, improved staffing ratios, and scheduled nonclinical time. Conclusions: Moderate burnout was observed among critical care and emergency medicine pharmacists with a strong desire for increased leadership support within staffing indicated. In addition, leaders should consider creating formal peer support programs to prevent or address burnout.