Emotional exhaustion among US health care workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2021.

Emotional exhaustion among US health care workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2021.

October 5, 2022
Sexton JB, Adair KC, Proulx J, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(9):e2232748.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of physician burnout, including emotional exhaustion, which can increase patient safety risks. This cross-sectional study examined emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers at two large health care systems in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents reported increases in emotional exhaustion in themselves and perceived exhaustion experienced by their colleagues. The researchers found that emotional exhaustion was often clustered in work settings, highlighting the importance of organizational climate and safety culture in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on healthcare worker well-being.

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