Assistant Professor Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Phildalephia, Pennsylvania, United States
Background: Provider well-being is a priority in healthcare to achieve high quality care. Standardized quantitative tools are necessary to assess and track well-being after interventions. However perception of well-being may differ from person to person and from one department to the other. Qualitative tools may be helpful in identifying specific needs of each group. Objective: Our goal in this study was to assess provider well-being in a level IIIB NICU serving a high-risk population and to combine a standardized tool with a qualitative survey for our assessment. Design/Methods: Neonatologists and advance practice providers (APP) in our NICU were invited to participate in a fifteen-item survey using an electronic software. Participation was voluntary and responses were anonymous. Our survey consisted of questions in the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (SPFI) and open-ended questions for qualitative assessment. Responses to open-ended questions were categorized into themes. Results: The response rate to our survey was 87%. Forty percent of providers had more than 15 years of experience. Eighty percent worked in other NICUs in the past 5 years. For SPFI, 30% of respondents had scores above the cut point for professional fulfillment, 42% of neonatologists, 23% of APPs. Overall, 35% showed burnout, 29% of neonatologists, 38% of APPs. This was mostly driven by work exhaustion (65%) rather than interpersonal disengagement (20%). Most common themes for questions on what the participants liked about working in the NICU, this institution, what gave them joy were taking care of babies, patient population, helping babies respectively. Most common theme for a change in daily workflow was to improve efficiency in rounds. Most common theme in what lowers mood/energy was ineffective communication. Most respondents chose to talk to their colleagues to help navigate a challenging day. When asked what would improve well-being at work, the most common theme was appreciation.
Conclusion(s): According to SPFI, the rate of professional fulfillment among participants was low and burnout rate was similar to other reports. Most of our participants enjoyed caring for newborns, our patient population and saw colleagues as their support. Most common themes for improvement were efficiency, communication, and appreciation. This survey serves as a baseline assessment for a quality improvement project for our division. Qualitative survey provided us with opportunities for improvement. Deriving tools that combine quantitative and qualitative assessments may be beneficial in future work to improve provider well-being.
