Resilience under pressure: Healthcare worker burnout in Lagos, Nigeria public healthcare facilities.
TL;DR
There is a need for the government and other stakeholders to take steps to address the incidence of burnout by improving working conditions for healthcare workers in healthcare facilities in Lagos, Nigeria.
Abstract
BackgroundBurnout is a work-related syndrome that undermines healthcare worker well-being, patient safety and workforce retention. Nigeria's public health system operates with a physician-to-population ratio of about 1:5,000, and chronic understaffing, long working hours and limited institutional support place healthcare workers at substantial risk; multi-cadre evidence from Lagos State remains scarce.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout and coping strategies among healthcare workers in public healthcare facilities in Lagos, Nigeria.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over six months, during which respondents were recruited from selected general hospitals in Lagos State. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 321 healthcare workers through a stratified random sampling. The data were cleaned and analysed using Epi Info version 7, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.ResultsThe majority (54.5%) of the respondents were less than 30 years old, with a mean age of 30.60 ± 7.47. About 57.9% of the respondents were female. More than one-third, 127 (39.5%) of respondents experienced a high level of burnout, while only 93 (29.0%) reported having a low level of burnout overall. Nearly two-thirds, 195 (60.7%) of respondents occasionally adjust their self-expectations, such as by delegating tasks or declining certain responsibilities, and a smaller group, 48 (15%), sometimes resorted to substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette smoking as coping methods. Marital status (p < 0.001), profession (p < 0.001), work experience (p < 0.001), and hours worked per week (p = 0.003) were statistically significantly associated with the prevalence of burnout among respondents.ConclusionsWith records of lower levels of personal achievements associated with a high rate of burnout, there is a need for the government and other stakeholders to take steps to address the incidence of burnout by improving working conditions for healthcare workers in healthcare facilities.