Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
BMC Med Educ. 2022 Feb 25;22(1):127. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03187-z.
Current rates of burnout among physicians are alarming when compared to nonphysician U.S. workers, and numerous interventions have been introduced to mitigate the issue. However, no interventions have specifically targeted the 30% burnout rate among physician program directors. The complex and demanding role of program directors necessitates building relationships, solving crises, securing jobs for residents and maintaining well-being of trainees. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on burnout levels among program directors.
A cross-sectional survey was administered from May 17 to June 30, 2021 to program directors and assistant/ associate program directors at an academic medical center in south-central Pennsylvania. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data. The survey included an open-ended question along with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Short Form (TEIQue-SF), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and demographic questions. All data were analyzed using SAS Version 9.4.
Of the 109 program directors and assistant/associate program directors invited in the survey, 34 (31.20%) responded. The findings indicate that there is a moderate inverse association between EQ and burnout, suggesting EQ as a protective factor against burnout. We also found that program directors who were considering leaving their position demonstrated higher levels of burnout compared to those who did not. Results from the open-ended question suggest that perceived lack of support, micromanagement, criticism, and extra duties with less payment were among the reasons program directors and associates were considering steeping down from their position. The results showed no association between EQ skills and years of practicing.
Burnout among program directors and assistant/associate program directors is not as alarming as rates of burnout among physicians-in-training. However, despite high level of EQ skills and low burnout level, nearly 43% of program directors were considering leaving their position. Nurturing EQ skills may be useful in improving retention and reducing turnover among medical leaders.
与非医师的美国劳动者相比，目前医生的倦怠率令人震惊，因此引入了许多干预措施来解决这个问题。然而，还没有干预措施专门针对医师项目主任 30%的倦怠率。项目主任的角色复杂且要求苛刻，需要建立关系、解决危机、为住院医师找到工作并维持学员的健康。本研究旨在调查情商（EQ）对项目主任倦怠水平的影响。
2021 年 5 月 17 日至 6 月 30 日，对宾夕法尼亚州中南部一所学术医疗中心的项目主任和助理/副主任进行了横断面调查。使用自我报告问卷收集数据。该调查包括一个开放式问题以及特质情绪智力量表-短式（TEIQue-SF）、哥本哈根倦怠量表（CBI）和人口统计学问题。使用 SAS 版本 9.4 分析所有数据。
在参与调查的 109 名项目主任和助理/副主任中，有 34 名（31.20%）做出回应。结果表明，EQ 与倦怠之间存在中度负相关，表明 EQ 是防止倦怠的保护因素。我们还发现，考虑离职的项目主任比不考虑离职的项目主任表现出更高的倦怠水平。开放式问题的结果表明，缺乏支持、微观管理、批评以及报酬较少的额外职责是项目主任和副主任考虑离职的原因。结果表明，EQ 技能与实践年限之间没有关联。
项目主任和助理/副主任的倦怠率不如住院医师培训中的倦怠率那么严重。然而，尽管 EQ 技能水平较高且倦怠水平较低，但近 43%的项目主任仍在考虑离职。培养 EQ 技能可能有助于提高医疗领导者的留任率并降低离职率。
