Assessing Burnout and Resiliency in Online Degree Advancement Respiratory Care Students During a Pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the presence of burnout in online degree advancement Respiratory Care students during a pandemic and characteristics/strategies of resiliency. Method: The design of the study was quantitative; non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional survey research. The Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS (MP) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used to measure these constructs. Results: One hundred and twenty-nine (129) students completed components of the survey for a response rate of approximately 28%. Relevant findings include a somewhat higher level of depersonalization for those who practice in adult acute care. Emotional exhaustion was higher in those who reported working directly with COVID-19 patients. Depersonalization was higher in the younger aged professionals (18-40 years). Resilience was found to have a negative correlation with both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and a positive correlation with personal accomplishment. Conclusions: Findings support the need for training and education on emotional intelligence and opportunities to practice mindfulness-based stress reduction. Additionally, workload reductions and adequate time for recovery may help alleviate the emotional exhaustion of working respiratory therapists who are pursuing an advanced degree online.