Comparison of the prevalence of burnout risk between ICU and non-ICU nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak in French-speaking Belgium

This study specifically targeted ICU nurses, but one question remained outstanding: ''Are ICU nurses more or less at risk of burnout than non-ICU nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic?". Data were collected on nurses in the French-speaking part of Belgium between April 21 and May 04, 2020, using a web-based survey. The two groups (ICU and non-ICU) were formed by asking respondents for the department in which they work. The risk of burnout was assessed using the French-version of the validated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale which captures the following dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP) and reduced personal achievement (PA). The high risk in EE and DP in ICU nurses compared to non-ICU nurses is probably explained by differences in job characteristics, environment, and patient population. In conclusion, these additional analyses show the importance of separately considering the different dimensions of burnout. In the context of a pandemic, particular attention must be paid to the dimensions of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation of ICU nurses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)