Content area
Abstract
Background: The impacts of occupational burnout in healthcare providers are significant and may lead to physical and psychological exhaustion, increased work absence and employment turnover, and reduced patient safety. Currently, studies examining the impact of burnout in registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are lacking. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the prevalence of burnout in RDNs and to characterize it across demographic and work-related factors.
Methods: An electronic survey was emailed to a random sample of approximately 4,750 RDN members from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The survey contained an unmodified English version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) along with demographic and work-related questions.
Results: At the end of the four-week study, 206 responses were included in the final analysis (survey response rate = 206/4750 = 4.3%). The RDNs surveyed had mean burnout scores of 50.7 (personal), 48.4 (work-related), and 41.3 (client-related) across the three-dimensions of burnout as measured by CBI. These scores indicate that on average RDNs perceived burnout as “sometimes” and “somewhat” impacting the practice of dietetics based upon response options from the CBI. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.90, 0.91, and 0.91 for personal, work, and client-related dimensions respectively, thus indicating strong internal reliability of the survey questions in RDNs. Those younger in age and with less work experience appear to be most impacted by burnout. Additionally, the type of work done outside of scheduled hours (job related vs. personal/professional related) appeared to have different impacts on burnout. However, the use of telemedicine among RDNs did not appear to be a significant factor in burnout.
Conclusion: Despite the perception of burnout “sometimes” and “somewhat impacting the dietetic profession in those surveyed, the present study was able to identify key demographic and work-related factors where burnout is more prevalent. This information will prove to be valuable for employers or managers of RDNs in projects aimed at improving the work environment of RDNs and workplace efficacy.
